The Grindelwald Girl
by 1Deivle
Summary: She was not like any other witch, she had not been to wizarding school, she had to grow up much faster under the heavy cloak of WW2. It wasn't until she discovered her power that she was found by the wizarding community. But the one that got to her first was Gellert Grindelwald. ***Rewriting last few chapters under edit***
1. prolog

**Prolog**

She remembers the moment she let it go. All the pent-up power insider like a damn bursting through one giant break in the wall. She couldn't remember who she was in that moment, everything she saw was black and gray. All she knew was the sent of energy and the need for more, more of what this energy was she didn't know. Her body moved in angles no normal humans would contorting almost as though they were not a part of her body. It was as if her mind was not even attached to her. Everything was clouded by a black smoke and whips of black and grey sand burning around her. It was like a heat she had never experienced both hot and cold yet equally painful and powerful there was some other sharp pain behind it like electricity shocking her like lightning every time she moved.

And she was moving, not walking more like a mix between jumping and flying, she would see a blurred destination and be pushed through there by her body it was not something she had full control over. All she knew was that there was there were fences everywhere and men in black and green uniforms. She wiped against them tangling the fence and their bodies into each other tearing both apart.

Then as she felt herself pulling apart the painting flashed through her head, it used to hang above their fireplace at their old apartment it was so lifelike and she could swear in her memories sometimes it moved. It was like a snapshot of the feelings, of love, and light from that painting that brought her mind back from the edge and she pulled as hard as she could to bring all of the parts of herself back together. And it burned like burning coal and sand running through her veins and slowly settling in like lead in her veins.

Until finally her mangled body was whole again. Then she heard the dogs. And she forced her heavy body to run, running deeper into the woods the cold didn't touch her even though she was barely dressed a thin gown covering her. Flashes of light and memories flashed through her mind, her mother, her father, her old home, and she felt the prick of sadness pierce her heart like a dagger. It didn't last long, the flashes of her home became cloudy and then it started, memories of him, his white coat, his blond hair and pale gaunt face and dark blue eyes, his hands on her, her mother's frail body, she felt sick and angry and the fog became darker and darker and the power surged and two words rang through her ears…. my puppy…. and her vision was gone her body burned again the dogs closing in and she rounded back to them barreling through the animals with a vengeance she could barely identify as her own, but it felt... so good, the release the power was exhilarating.

But something didn't feel entirely right. It became harder to hold onto the awareness of herself again, as she tore through the dogs their bones and flesh ripping like paper, she felt herself slowly being torn as well, no, more like a shell being ground into sand her being felt like it was being ground into the darkness around her. She didn't know what to do. She needed to pull herself together again, she had to use this power to take control. Her heartbeat guiding her, pulling her back to reality and physicality by pulling her body back together.

Then she was cold, her bones felt cold inside her hot flesh, almost like they didn't belong. She didn't have many sences available to her but one feeling that was very powerful was the urge to stay alive, to fight and live. It was growing dark, and as she became more aware of her surroundings so did her body and the cold was becoming more harsh. She took a brief moment to look around at what she had to assume is what is left of the dogs that had been following her. She felt slightly sick looking at the carnage of the leftovers, and upset that she couldn't control herself enuf in order to save the fur so that she could have at least something more to cover herself.

But there was not a whole lot of time before she had to find cover before she would freeze, the sun had been going down quickly and she could make out some warm lights off in the opposite direction that she came from. She walked towards the dim lights only looking back to make sure her footprints were not traceable. Though her limbs felt like lead she picked her feet up and pushed forward with all the might she could muster.

She would never go back there, she never would allow herself to be used like that again. Now that she has power she was determined to destroy the world she lived in, and from its ashes she would build a new one.

* * *

I have been Debating on whether or not to add this here but decided to anyway. She will eventually go to Hogwarts and meet some of the students there hijinks ensues etc etc. But for the people who just read for that part, she will get there around ch 7 or 8, I hope you read through it but if you are just about the Hogwarts setting is just a little way in. Hope you enjoy :)


	2. Chapter 1

**The Demon of the French Fields.**

Everything had changed over the last few months. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered how she had dragged herself into a barn on the outskirts of the town that night. A blizzard took hold of the area for five days covering her traces and putting a blanket of white over the red-stained earth, God was on her side that night, she thought as she looked down at the tin can in her hands half full of beans.

She was getting tired of stealing rations from soldiers camps but well one has to do what one has to do. She let her feet dangle off the edge of the cliff she was sitting on and looked out towards the sea and inhaling the salty air deeply. France was falling there was no way they were going to survive the war, and most of her people had been hauled to Poland or Germany. But she would still fight on this front doing what she could without getting too involved. Every time when she entered a battlefront there was a high risk she wouldn't come out, but it was a risk that every soldier took and one that needed to be made when the stakes were as high as they were now. She had found another two camps like the one she had been held at, and demolished them, but she never saw the doctor. She took some comfort in the thought that she most likely killed him the first time she lost control. Or that's what she called it now at least.

Today she just called it a release. After making it to that barn she worked on controlling the bursts focusing on using it to move, destroyed half of the building and killed a few of the animals, but by the time the blizzard was over she had some of it under her control, she didn't have to fully surrender herself to the power to use it. Though the temptation was difficult to avoid. Whenever she wasn't releasing it was as though the power was rolling around inside her needing to be let out. She looked again at the unappetizing mush in front of her and picked up another heaping mass of it and ate it, feeling the sensation of it sliding down her thought as she reset her thoughts of what she was going to do next.

Britain is not going to surrender, they are too proud for it, and the Americans well who knows if they will ever join the fight, but can't count on it. There was the Russian front, she could always go there and help the Russians no matter how absolutely appealing she found the weather. And If she went back up through the north she could always try and find more camps. It would be difficult but not impossible they didn't seem prepared for an attack when I first started, but now that I have taken out two of them it would be stupid to think they were no longer prepared for me or any attack. But going to Russia was a risk as well, she was still unsure if they were still allied with the Germans or not; she was not a part of any intelligence borough so her information was at best spotty. Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud screams of artillery through the sky behind her.

"Well I didn't think there were many forces this close to the beach…" she said glancing back over her shoulder to no one, "well guess I should finish this and get to it." downing the rest of the content of the can into her stomach she threw the can to the side and rolled up the rest of her gear in a blanket that she had next to her before attaching the contents to her back and slinging her bag ontop.

Taking a few breaths let her mind and body fall into rhythm with her heartbeat and breathing she could feel the power underneath just needing a direction to be pushed. Then the lurch forward. It felt as though a giant wave went through her she deformed herself into the black and grey energy and in moments her form was near the fighting. There were leftover trenches from the Great War where some of the French were and the Germans were on the higher ground behind a treeline, but tanks began coming through on the road.

Once she had awareness of the situation she lurched forward again into the thick of the germans thrashing through their infantry and slamming against their artillery blood was mixing with the oil and grease of the machinery as she flung their bodies flesh against their own machinery as their screams mixed with the sound of gunfire. Her body unaware or uncaring of the carnage barely felt the sting of a bullet or two, she almost felt like an invincible monster or maybe she was the demonic creature so many had rumored her to be. She didn't know, and in moments like these, she didn't care

But just as the last few men fell she felt an icy rope coil around her, dragging her back into the forest and up the mountain faster than she could move. As she could regain her thoughts she was face to face with a platinum blond older man with piercing blue eyes. She could see the glowing white rope of sorts that had dragged her out coming from a small stick the man held in his hands, and the feeling to fight it overtook her as she struggled with the rope and the shock of the situation. With a burst of frustraighted rage, she broke free of it in a matter of a few violent pulses moving back quickly once she was free.

"Wait! Wait!" said the man in an urgent yet calm voice "I am not here to harm you! I am here to help you!"

The girl was not sure what to make of the man, he was obviously something different from a normal human, but was he like her or was he different did he want to capture her or stop her from fighting? She didn't know, but one thing was sure if she needed to she could jump off the mountain and lurch away from the man, but she wanted answers and the curiosity was enough to convince her to reign herself in.

As she slowly pulled herself together she noticed the man's expression go into a nervous smile. "My Name is Gellert Grindelwald, and I am a wizard."

"A wizard… yah, and a german wizard at that…." she let out a corse laugh, "Of course, you would be german."

"Well it has been a while since I have been to my homeland in a while but if I am not mistaken by your accent, are you not also german young one?"

"Half."

"Probably in more ways than one, if I would guess." The man said calmly looking over her still stabilizing form.

"What is that supposed to mean"

"Come with me and I will explain it to you." Grindelwald said taking a step closer.

"Stay where you are!" the girl said standing her ground but clenching every muscle in her body, "I do not know who or what the bloody hell you are, but if you have any answers for what is going on then I will hear them right here."

"As I said earlier," he said with a small smile holding up his wand and making a slight bow, "I am a wizard." then with a flick some sparks flew from his wand the sparks turning into butterflies floating around her

"Nice trick," she said keeping her eyes firmly on the man in front of her.

"It's no trick it is magic, you have it inside you too, I'm sure you can feel it the power. It is flowing through you right now, it must be excruciating to hold it all in."

"Nothing I can't handle," she said, as she watched him speak a few words and a chair appeared behind her and himself

"sit, we will most likely be here for a moment or two" he said sitting, she felt slightly more comfortable with him sitting, she, on the other hand, could stand just fine taking a higher ground looking ever so slightly down at the old man.

"So I'm supposed to simply trust someone who dragged me up a mountain and calls himself a wizard?" the girl said staring down her nose at the man.

"I can understand how hard this could seem to someone of a muggle birth", he calmly explained weighing his words carefully as to not offend.

"Muggle?" she interrupted

"someone who does not possess magic from birth"

"You have another word for normal human?"

"Well, I didn't come up with the term it has been used for centuries most likely, but yes, what would be considered normal for you."

"Centuries, wait, are there more of you?"

"The world is covered with wizards and witches, it is just that for centuries we have kept our world in the shadows of the muggle world, but that system is one that I'm trying to change."

"Oh really, and how come I am just now meeting one now?"

The man let out a chuckle of sorts "Well they have been looking for you, I have been looking for you, but your movements are hard to track and follow, and well many have been preoccupied with the war…"

"Well everyone is caught up in the war the whole world is going insane."

"No not this war, this is nothing, there is a greater war going on between wizards right now as well."

She could feel her blood begin to boil "how dare you." she said taking a step forward she could feel the pressure from within, she focused a release of it out of her right hand into the woods tearing a few large trees down, and the man shifted slightly in his chair, "What gives you the right to say this is nothing. Have you seen what is going on out there! What they are doing to people! Innocent people!" the girl took a breath in and slowly let it out, calming herself letting the power burn off, "People who have done absolutely nothing except believe the wrong thing and you call that nothing!"

The older man's eyes narrowed "I see I have misspoken, but you seem very unaware of your situation. You are a witch, you are not a part of all of this." he said gesturing outwardly. "But at the same time this, what you have been doing is not what a young witch should be able to do. You have been holding it all in simultaneously elevating and holding yourself back. There are so many things you could learn, you could do so much more, have so much power that you could harness, all you need is a teacher."

"Are you joking, I'm a witch and you want me to abandon this, these people let the germans win!?"

"This war is trivial compared to what could be."

"Again, why do you want to trivialize the lives of innocent people and soldiers who are fighting and losing, but still giving everything they have." She took another deep breath the man giving her a moment to bring herself down, shakily taking another breath in she closed her eyes. She needed to think clearly, why was it so hard to simply think "What do you mean, _trivial_?" spitting the last word back at him.

"There is another war going on right now in the wizarding community, you see there are powerful witches and wizards in the world. And if they wanted, with a few flicks of the wrist, they could change your world and be the ones in power. Muggles would not be the ones making the decisions about where the world goes anymore. Some think that it is fine for muggles, the weaker group, to be the ones dictating how the world moves forward. You, of all people, should have seen what muggles do when they have control, you have seen the debasing things they do." he tilted his head noticing the girl go a little pale, and her hair bristled a bit. "Nothing like this should be happening. He said gesturing outwards with his hand then pointing his finger at her, "you could be one of the people that stops this. You could have the power to save them all not just a few here and there."

"A few here and there still makes a difference, one life is powerful and can make a difference and handful here and there is the difference between surviving and complete destruction of a people, of history, and of a faith that is being systematically snuffed out." having gotten her barings back she took a seat on the stump of a tree that she had previously fallen.

The man waved his wand the stump turning into a throne style chair. The girl shifted uncomfortably as it morphed under her.

"Just a bit of transfiguration, something you could learn how to do, and so much more."

"I'm not a child, I do not think that there is some magical way to save everyone, that not how the world works."

The man's eyebrow raised and he lifted his hands, "but you could do so much more! Think of the power how if you could truly harness it how many more could you save! How much more of a difference you could make other than just destroying some battalion her and a soldier there!"

"The soldiers are not the only ones in desperate need of saving; and the fact that that is what you think is just another reason for me to not go with you."

"Why are you so invested in a war that you are so above." the man said shaking his hands

"No human is above another, that is the kind of shit that started this war and from what I'm able to gather from you, it is probably what started whatever war your fighting. Something so trivial can only lead to the kind of torture and inhuman acts that you seem so blind to, the same acts that you do not even know what is happening in your home country."

"You can look at this any way you want," the man's voice got suddenly sharper than it had been, "but the more you do the harder it will be to control the power inside of you. And if you are not killed then the ministry, an organization of wizards, will come after you as a threat to their secrecy. They will hunt you down and destroy you before you even have a chance to save more people. And trust me they will not be as willing to listen to you as I have been."

"If they are so worried about my impact then they have certainly missed the point of humanity. If something undeniably wrong is going on, and they try and stop one of the only people able to do something right now then they are just as corrupt as the men I am fighting."

"They are exactly that! A corrupt group who are blind to all the possibilities, to all they could do with this world if only they had someone to show them! You could help me do that. Your not a dim girl you know you can't save everyone that in itself is proof that you have the mental capabilities to go forth and become more powerful than even some of the masters today, you might even surpass me. And the more powerful you become the more people you can save. All I ask in return is that you fight by my side and I will fight by yours with my army behind me. Together we will tear down the order that this world has fallen into and we will build it a new. All of it will be for the greater good" he finished his speech and stood up extending a hand towards the girl

She did not stand instead she sat pensive thinking, and as the seconds grew into minutes Grindelwald lowered his hand understanding that she was now truly considering the possibilities. It was so tempting to believe all of this, but it was too much. She needed to unravel this mess in her head, she wouldn't bow her head to another and even though what he said didn't imply subservience he didn't seem like the one to share power or let one under him freely move as they pleased. She lifted her gaze to take the older man in. From his silver hair to mismatched eyes, they had a sparkle to them that she didn't like, for someone who has been leading a war effort it made her uncomfortable that he should seem so unaffected.

"I need more time. To think. About this war, yours, and my own." she said finally standing and now extending her hand, "But I will consider it, being your student in return for your aid in my fight."

"That is all I ask," Grindelwald said with a wide smile and grasping her hand with two. "Now, that we have gotten through to the meat of the discussions, I'd like to briefly introduce myself as I do not think I had the pleasure earlier. My name is Gellert Grindelwald, and I would like to give you this while you deliberate." he pulled a small book and unfolded it once, twice, three times until it was three times its size and he put his hand on top and the book then grew in width. "This is a brief history of witchcraft and general wizarding history. Something you deserve to know as you are now going to be part of this world as well as your own."

"Thank you" she said gingerly taking the large book from him, she tried putting it in her bag and realized there was not enough space with all her other supplies and instead struggled a bit till it was comfortably under her arm.

Grindelwald looked slightly amused, "For a second gift I could help you with creating enough space in your bag for anything you could want." he pulled his wand out then held out his other hand expectantly for the bag

The girl thought a moment, deciding finally that he seems to want her to come to him eventually on her own so he wouldn't do anything to her bag and there wasn't anything in there that would be terribly hard to get again, with that she handed him the bag. She leaned in a bit as he pointed his wand over the bad and spoke a few words she couldn't understand and a gleam of light came from her bag, and her eyes slightly widened. "Now all you have to do is reach in and think of what you need from it and it will be in your hand." he said with a happy tone as he noticed her face and her inquisitive look as she looked inside her bag tilting her head side to side as if trying to figure out the trick behind it, "there is no trick girl, it is magic"

"You can call me Helena, I am not a fan of being called girl as much as I am sure you would not be a fan of being called the old man." Helena said her features hardening again as she gingerly put the book in the bag. "Thank you for this by the way." she said lifting her bag up before slinging it around her back again. "How should I contact you if I decide to go with you? Three days should be enough for me to come up with a decision."

"How about here? In three days time."

"No this area will be crawling with Nazis by then. Another location would be better preferably further from this area, we are fairly close to Belgium I'll meet you at the meeting of the two beaches between France and Belgium it has been occupied for a long time and the fighting in that area is lower than most of France there shouldn't be many patroles either."

"Where the beaches meet then." he made a slight bow before picking up a rather large medallion and in a swirl of wind and silver and black he was gone.

Helena took a breath in and slowly let it out, she breathed in again focusing some of the tension the power inside her created and let it out of her hand in a painful burst relieving the pressure within her once again for a bit. "Three days…" she nodded and walked into the woods, she had to move before any soldiers came this way, and she needed someplace safe where she could focus and read.


	3. Chapter 2

Gellert Grindelwald stood looking out into the ocean's horizon. His black overcoat and blue undercoat billowing in the wind. He had been standing there for some time, and if this were any other matter he would have grown impatient. However this, this was something he couldn't push. He was not close enough to the waves for them to reach him, but the tide was coming in and he did not feel the need to step back, it almost felt like he was taunting the waves to hit his shoes.

There was a rustle and passed crunching as he looked behind him he saw the girl walking towards him. Her dark honey hair matted and dirtily held in a messy bun atop her head, a stile unbefitting of one so young. She seemed to have gotten used to the bag as her load seemed significantly lighter than it did upon their first meeting. He fully turned to her as she walked closer.

Helena didn't like this, the idea of her having to be reeducated. And there was no assurance or guarantee that he would hold up his end of the bargain, or not simply capture her for himself, a slow shiver went up her spine at the thought. But the book she had to remind herself was actually history and not some glorified fairy tale, which she now knew actually existed, fairies that were, if she were to believe the book. Most interesting, and perhaps the reason that the old man had given her the book in the first place, was the very small section on the beings known as the Obscurus.

" _An Obscurus was the manifestation of the repressed energy of a magical child (known as an Obscurial). A "dark" and "parasitic" force, an Obscurus was created when the child in question was forced to repress their talent through physical or psychological abuse. This energy could manifest itself as a separate entity that can erupt in violent, destructive fury._ "

This thing seemed to be whatever she was, and it didn't seem like they lived very long from what she could tell from the book. She never felt like it was a beast inside her just a twisted extension of herself was how she saw it, but she could understand how most could see it like a rabid dog held on by a thin leash. Whatever it was she needed to use it properly or find another way to release the pressure of the power from within her because she could feel herself slipping more and more. And though it was not the best option, she'd be damned if she did and damned if she didn't, one way go crazy die and save a few, the other possibly not go crazy and have an army in reserve.

"Did you enjoy the book?" Grindelwald asked with a sideways grin

"I think I got out of it what you wanted. But other than that yes it was very interesting. Hard to really believe it all though. It just doesn't feel like it could be real." Helena said stopping still a few paces from him her words just loud enough to hear through the wind.

"Well there will be a lot more where that came from, so much more in fact that I'm sure within a months time you will be sick of it!" he said with a laugh, turning to face her, "so then. I'm assuming you have made a decision?"

"Well, unfortunately, I have."

"Unfortunately?" he said the corner of his lip twitching ever so slightly

"I just want you to know though I am making this decision to go with you, I do not like it. You will teach me as quickly and as efficiently as you know how. None of this fluffy magic. That seems to be so popular in the community." she says flicking the book, "You will teach me the defence against the dark arts alongside the dark arts themselves. You will teach me the most effective transmutation and transfiguration spells. I want to be taught not babied. I think neither of us has time for it."

Grindelwald's smile grew on his face, "There would be nothing that would make me happier. Welcome to my..."

"Hold on, not so fast; I will under one condition."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"Something else I read in the book; I want an unbreakable vow that you will not hold me prisoner or experiment on me in any way and I, in turn, will not leave your tutelage by my own volition." she said holding out her hand '

"An unbreakable vow? Now if you read the book you should know what happens if you break it."

"I know. You die. But to be honest I would rather die than be some sort of….. Prisoner again"

"Yes. But unfortunately young one there is something else we need to make such a vow."

"A third person. I know I read the book, I want your word right now that the moment we reach where we are going that you will make it. I'm asking you to make me a promise on your honor."

Grindelwald clasped the girl's hand in his, "well now that I'd be happy to do." After he grasped her hand and said the words she wanted him to say he pulled out a pouch from the inside of his overcoat and from it pulled out a string with a pendant on the end. "For your first lesson, I will introduce you to a port key. They are items that transport a person from one location to another fixed location. This one" he said looking at the pendant will take us to my newly constructed fortress. It is there that myself and my followers will teach you." he extended his hand, waiting as if one would for a timid dog. And meeting his eyes she walked towards him glanced at the pendant before meeting his eyes once more with a hint of frustration she grabbed his hand.

The lurch was very different from how she moved in her other form this way twisted differently, as though one were on a toy that went round and round, and she found herself quite sick when she found her feet again. Letting go of his hand the doubled over and held her hand to her mouth taking a few breaths in she composed herself and stood straight again.

When she looked in front of her, it was as though there was a lead pipe slammed into her stomach. It was a large ominous building, with an overbearing metal gate surrounding it at the top of the gate was the inscription " _For the Greater Good"._ It felt like steel coils were moving around her and she found it harder and harder to breathe. As her feelings slowly turned to panic she could feel herself losing control. She grabbed her other wrist and doge her nails into her arm drawing just a bit of blood as this physically inflicted pain brought her slowly back she could barely hear the words coming from Grindelwald a few paces in front of her.

"Do not be so worried, we are in war times and though this place holds prisoners that is not its only function, and for one as sensitive to magic as you inside these walls might be the best place for you to learn in peace."

"What do you mean?" she said slowly following

"Within these walls, there is no magic. It is going to be a prison for those who seek to destroy or hinder the good I intend to bring into this world." when he got to the gates he stopped and turned to her, "this will allow you to absorb knowledge without the pestering Obscurus getting in the way." he kept prattling on about the structure but Helena was barely listening.

But after a few seconds, it clicked in the back of her head, "So if there is no magic… does that mean no obscurus? As it was described in the book it is almost like a separate magical being so would it even be affected."

"Well it brings me joy to see that you are not dim Helena, but to be honest i don't know," he said as a small smile forming on his face. "I'm not sure but won't it be interesting to find out."

Helena's eyebrow went up, "Im interested to see, but remember I am not a test subject, and magic or no magic, if you do anything where you break that promise, may you suffer whatever the result is of the vow." her voice was trailing off at the end.

She was more preoccupied with observing all those around her, particularly the ones on brooms flying around. She had heard stories of witches and wizards but she had not expected… well. This… a mix of fairytale and reality. They looked like regular people for the most part, yet they flew on brooms and some wore funny hats. Some were dressed in robes and other street clothes in the latest fashion.

The people, no witches around her were looking at Grindelwald the man next to her and then analyzing her, she felt like she could feel the eyes on her, she began to shift a bit as she walked almost as if she was trying to shake off the stares but the more she tried to ignore them the more she felt like they were on her. And then it started happening, she could feel her heart rate increase and it became harder to focus, she began shifting more and more, almost like little spasms becoming larger and larger till she had to fling her arm to get the feeling out of herself. She was slowly losing it, she had been in these situations a few times and usually, she was able to move into an unpopulated area in time but here, there was only one place to try.

"Well it is no time like the present to try it." her breathing getting heavier with each step

Grindelwald looked at her his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, he grabbed her by the waist and flew them across the courtyard area where everyone was to the main door where it seemed a group of people were waiting for him. As he landed he boomed "Move aside!" and they split like the dead sea.

Helena was losing bits of her vision she was slowly going fuzzy and her blood was boiling. She could feel the power escape in a few pounding bursts. She felt a burst of power come from inside of her. Then all of a sudden there was nothing it was as though the air had been sucked from her lungs by a mallet to her chest. Her bones feel hollow and she lost all feeling in them as they fell limp to her sides. Her heart rate slowed and as though she was thrust into a bucket of ice she began to shiver and her eyes rolled into the back of her head before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 3

Hi everyone, looking for a beta. I don't have time to go through all of this by my self so I just post when I am done. Consequently I miss a lot of grammar mistakes and tense stuff. DM me if you are interested

* * *

Helena had been slowly becoming aware for a few seconds her limbs were stiff and cold but she could feel the weight of a thick comforter on her, her head was groggy but she was slowly becoming more alert. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up to see a burgundy canopy above her. The blanket on her must have been down because it looked huge on her. The room was simple stone walls with bookcases lining the walls of the square rooms and a sitting chair and a desk with a decorative rug covering the floor. The lighting in the room was warm and slightly dim but she was able to make out the shape of a wooden door beyond her feet at the opposite side of the room.

She tried to lift herself up but fell back as every movement felt like she had been just returned from stone to flesh, everything was stiff and creaking, then she noticed it. Or more the absence of it, the obscurus. It was gone. She felt a hollowed out space in her chest it felt cold or maybe it was just her normal state as the constant push of magic was just hot, either way the thought as she grabbed her chest now I know that this building works.

Then it hit her she was in the building, where there was no magic, in a room with a that she had no idea if it was locked or not she looked down at herself, still dirty and she had her same clothes on, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her bag was nowhere. She was completely defenseless with no vow of any kind that she wouldn't be a prisoner. Every thought that passed through her head got worse and worse, everything that could go wrong, everything that already had. She was up shit creek without any paddle in sight. She could feel her heart race increasing and she began to miss the feeling of knowing that there was a power that followed. There was a sense of security with it. That you were not alone. That you could hold your own. But not anymore she was powerless. An option would be to just ask and figure out from interacting, hopefully with Grindelwald, and to be honest, she didn't have the energy to try and escape now, not with her body the way it was. Taking a route that seemed more passive might be a better way to persuade them to eventually let her outside again anyway. She took a few calming breaths counting them out as she released the breaths.

"Hello?" she waited a moment, "I'm awake, is anyone there?"

There were a few seconds of silence before she heard some scuttling outside. There was a slight shuffle followed by a rattling sound and then the door opened slowly. An older woman walked in she looked to be around her fifties or sixties that middle age where you could see her holding on to the last stands of adulthood before old age. Her skin was tight in some and loser in others pulled with a look of being pulled behind the sharp and oddly shaped hat on her head. She had a cart behind her pulling it in then closing the door behind her.

"So you are awake," the woman said, her voice though not harsh had a curtness to it, as though she had more things she was meant to be doing but had to be here first. "Can you move around? Your body seemed to go through a lot. Where most wizards just have a mental reaction I guess things like you have more of a physical one"

Helena didn't really like the lady's tone and slightly pulled the sheets instinctively a little closer, "How long have I been asleep like this?"

"Not long only about 14 hours, or so. Can you move around? I have some clothes for you but you need a shower first, this place feels impossible to keep clean without magic, there is always dust and dirt everywhere."

"Yes ma'am, I can its painful but I can, where are my other things?"

"They should just be in the dresser over there" the woman said nodding over to a dresser next to the tapestry with a large flying lion on the front, "next to it is the entrance to the bathroom, you should go in there and clean yourself off I'll leave some clothes out here for you. Then it is about time for lunch, the food will be brought to you in an hour or so."

"Ah I see, do know when I might see Grindelwald I have somethings that I need to speak to him about."

The woman looked up at her an incredulous look on her face, "Grindelwald is a busy man he doesn't have time to move about this place willy-nilly to appease some girl. He is leading an army." After placing a few items on a desk she packed up her cart and headed to the exit, but before she left she took a small breath and turned back to Helena, "I'm sure he will get to you if he has time." then she left. Behind her, she could hear again the familiar sound of the clanking of keys.

So, she was locked in. Fucking, fantastic. Well, might as well get a shower since i'm here. All i have to do is move. She struggled to sit up. Then was the ordeal of pulling the sheets and large computer off of her. Every time she had to use a muscle she could feel it pulling against bone and felt like she was breaking stone, it hurt, God knows it hurt but it was also definitely manageable. She had been through worse she told herself as she swung her legs over to the side of the bed then when she put her feet on the floor and put some pressure on them she couldn't help but cringe a bit it felt like fifty needles in each foot like they had just woken up after a long period of time and the pain from it made her cringe which was a different pain. This was wonderful, she thought, just how she loved to be woken up in pain and locked in a place where she had no power and with no fucking vow. She felt like a child in pain and helpless again. She was in a position that she had vowed to never be in again.

She decided for better or worse maybe a shower would help then she could at least fae her problems clean. Somehow she made her way to the shower. And began peeling off her clothes, she couldn't remember the last time she had an honest to god shower. She had rinsed off in a freezing creek or two but she had always been too wary to go into someone's house or a lodge, just the paranoia was too much, plus she kinda liked the film of dirt on her it made her feel more like her surrounding which made her feel safe.

Her clothes were so matted with dirt and staying in one position for so long that some were stiff coming off and others were soggy and very smelly, she probably smelled similarly. She turned on the water and the warm water came out in a strong stream and as the water warmed up she got in. She grabbed the shampoo and the watched as some of the dirt drain out. She had to admit it felt really nice to have clean hair she thought as she commed the conditioner through her hair.

Then when she was relishing in the warm water slowly massaging her scalp a flash went through her head. A snapshot of a blond man with hungry blue eyes and cold hands. He was touching her again, then she was back in the shower. She felt her chest hurt her heart was banging against her chest, she had done such a good job of not thinking of him of just thinking of anything but him. Her hands were shaking why now, god why now she was finally relaxing a bit. She took the soap wanting to get out of there but determined to finish what she started, but every part of her body felt like there was a hand on it or like his fingerprints were all over her. She turned the heat, steam began to fill the room and the water began to burn as she scrubbed harder and harder. Sher skin was turning red and finally when she felt like she had covered herself with soap and was finally clean. As she turned off the water she could hear herself breathing heavily. She just stood there in the shower as the steam and heat radiated off of her. She stared at the drain as she watched the remaining water swirl down.

She breathed in and held it for a few moments before letting it out. She did this for a few more minutes until she could feel herself cooling off. At this point, one arm was holding her weight and she was leaning on the shower wall. She took another breath in gaining more awareness of her body, the original pain from moving had lessened significantly, and with another release of breath she got out of the shower and began to dry off with a nearby white fluffy towel. It burned a bit as she looked down at her skin she thought this must have been the cleanest she had been in a long time since she had rubbed herself raw definitely taking off the first layer of skin most of her body was red but it was slowly dying down.

She walked out the room in her towel not really wanting to put her original clothes back on she took a look around. While she had been in the shower there must have been someone who came in to change the sheet because they looked clean and there was a new more normal sized golden white one that replaced the overly heavy darker one that had been there before. She gravitated over to the desk dismissing the untasteful thought that people were just allowed in when she was taking a shower, yet at the same time happy that she wouldn't have to sleep in these dirty sheets again.

She held up the clothes that had been left it was nothing fancy a simple white button-down soft yet sturdy cotton. It fit her well maybe a little tight in the chest but it wasn't gaping too much to be very untasteful. And the skirt was of a thicker wool material, it was a dark shade of blue and went down to above her knees with a line of gold buttons going around the waist of the skirt. It was high waisted and was uncomfortably form fitting but thankfully again not too tight at the top but was pleated out at the end. She felt very uncomfortable in a skirt, she prefered the mobility and general bagginess of pants, they hid her growing figure and made her feel less self-conscious and she thought she looked a bit older in them, but in this skirt she felt there was not enough fabric and she felt she looked younger than she had in a while, definitely more her age at the least.

Having it all on she went back to the bathroom to assess her hair in the mirror, taking it out of the towel she began to come through it letting her mind wander to other things. More specifically one thing, what happened earlier in the shower, she felt uncomfortable thinking about it, but it wasn't something she really ever did think about it was always more something that she felt and then these feelings would bring out the other side of her, oh now what was it called again right an obscurus. The obscurus would come out, it would be strange getting used to her emotions again. Fully feeling again, she had gotten so used to either being numb to her emotions or letting the obscurus go off the rails so she wouldn't have to think about it much after except have an occasional cry.

She concluded that what probably brought it on again was being locked in a room again being powerless and alone in an unfamiliar place, and at that thought, she could hear in the back the door opening and something being wheeled in. she stayed in the bathroom combing through her hair. She needed to have it cut soon it was growing to be almost halfway down her back and even though she either kept it tied or in a braid mostly due to not washing it still had no reason for being that long. But her mom liked it when her hair was long. Her mother loved her honey hair, that's what she called it. It was like her fathers she got her eyes from her mother though, but it was her hair that her mother loved she had always wished her mother would stop going on and on about how she wished that she had hair like her daughters and not the dark brown almost blackish color that her mothers were. But she loved her mother's hair it just made her eyes shine even brighter, they were greener than her own but had the same silver specs in them she always thought her mother's eyes were so much brighter than her own, or well they used to be. In the end, they were dark no spark, not even a shimmer. Helena shook her head made a quick braid of the rest of her still fairly wet hair and went back into the other room.

Tying off the last bit of her braid she was surprised to see a table set up in her room with food and drink on it set for two with candles and nice china. It was probably supposed to convey a relaxed vibe but to Helena it made her feel uncomfortable and it all seemed suspicious or perhaps that was just the man sitting on the other end of the table Grindelwald.

"I heard you have been asking of me, so here i am." he said turning towards her with a smile and a tilt of the head indicating he wanted her to sit with him. "So i thought i would pop by for a spot of lunch."

"Whats going on here, and i mean in general not just with the lunch surprise." Helena said sitting down cautiously looking around as if someone else was going to pop out.

"Nothing out of the ordinary my dear just a simple lunch to help you get your energy back maybe ask a few questions then see if you were ready to start learning as If i recall we both wanted to begin as soon as possible."

'Questions? Oh yes I have a few starting with why i am in a locked room."

"That lock is not to keep you in here as much as it is to keep others out, ot many of my people are happy that I have brought one of your kind into my walls, especially after the little show at the entrance."

"Then why isn't there an unlock or an controle on this side of the door."

"Well that's just down to bad design, we are wizards we are not necessarily accustomed to doing things the muggle way, but if it would make you more comfortable I can arrange it. It might take a few weeks though."

"We never had a chance to make the vow. I want it as soon as possible, preferably after we finish lunch."

"Now there we have a problem. You should start eating your body needs to be replenished after what it went through." he said nodding to the food in front of her a large helping a a meatish looking substance some potatoes and a mix of carrots cabbage and broccoli, he also began eating pouring himself some more water he proceeded talking in between bites. "I don't want you going out side for a while. Going in and out of here can be a toll on the body, but for you it could be more dangerous than I had originally thought the magic of an obscurus is webbed throughout your body practically helping you move in your bones and muscles. Your body practically rejected it from its home when you entered here and to be honest I'm surprised to see you up even this early. It would be best for you to use this time to study and do an intensive course in magic. There are years of information that you need to be caught up with."

"Won't I need to practice with actual magic to learn?"

"Yes, and you shall but we will regulate those for when I am here to help you and get you accustomed to your environment."

"What do you mean when you are here?" she asked while politely cutting the meat into tiny pieces delaying eating it till she could get more of a sense of what it was.

"I have a war to run we are taking ground rapidly and they need me to lead occasionally, it is my war afterall. All of it will be for the greater good of course." he said looking up and giving her a charming smile that made Helena cringe a bit beneath a mask of indifference. "But I wanted to get to know you a bit before we truly began with the lessons."

"What do you need to know? You know my name you know that i'm an obscurus, and you know that if you help me I help you what else is there." she asked giving up on trying to figure out on what type of meat it was and just digging in.

"Well starters I know you name but I don't know how old you are or where you come from other than our similar home land of Germany." He said the last part in german which put the hairs on the back of her hair up making her drink her neck side to side before responding.

"I would prefer we use English after my mother passed I…. I just don't like German much. It's a rough language mean and harsh guttural in tone, and aggressive no matter how one uses it."

Grindelwald noticed her reaction and moved on marking that talking about Germany was a touchy subject he would hold off telling her he named the building after his favorite German city. "My condolences, I assume you would not like to talk about it."

She continued eating and stiffly replied,"you would be correct in assuming so."

Sensing her closing off quickly he went back to his simpler question. " So then again how old are you?"

"12 last November."

Grindelwald was taken aback some, he thought the girl was older, not much older, but definitely older, she was a beautiful girl no doubt about that fact. But he could see that under all the dirt and grime when he first met her it shone through, but she looked worn, as though she had been through so much more than he could imagine. But waar can do that. Only 12 he told himself. She could still be formed. If he played his cards right she might still fully adopt his ways, her mind might still be workable to let him in. But no, now he wanted to get to know her some more. "Well happy belated birthday it was only two months ago did you have a celebration?"

"No."

""Ah I see, well you mentioned your mother, but what of your father"

"Dead, he was a full blooded German too we could trace our family history on his side back to kings and queens of old. We used to have a family tree on one of the walls in our apartment, It took up the whole wall. My father had it specially made with more room at the bottom for future generations. But it's probably gone now. My mother loved it. She didn't talk much of her family except that they hailed from England. I don't even know where in England that's how little she spoke of them."

"A dispute with her family I presume."

"Probably. I always assumed it was because she married my father. I always found the idea romantic. The thought that she left a high standing family to marry a jewish man would have been a very big deal. Because I knew she wasn't jewish when they met, but she converted for my father." she froze for a few seconds, "that's not going to be a problem is it?"

"Im sorry, but will what be a problem?"

"That I'm Jewish," she said with a flat tone

"Oh of course not no one in the wizarding community could care less." He said with a flip of the hand and another smile, "You obviously had a great deal of love for your parents"

"I love my parents them being dead doesn't make me love them any less, nor does it hinder me from knowing they loved me dearly, before you go spotting condolences again."

"I won't argue with you on that point dear." he said sitting back done with his food. "Now for a slight change of topic, your studies you have much to learn and I know we both wish for you to learn as quickly as possible. Now it would be best if i was to be the one teaching you but that will not be the case most of the time unfortunately. But I am lucky to have some very powerful individuals underme who will be able to teach you when I am not available. Also all the books surrounding you have been carefully selected so that they should all be helpful in your studies, some of them rudimentary others highly advanced beyond even a students learning at even a wizarding school." there was a knock at the door and Grindelwald stood opening it and reading a small piece of paper handed to him.

"Places like Hogwarts and Durmstrang?" she said as he was standing reading the note, and demonstrating more of the information she had already absorbed from the first book

"Exactly, and it pleases me that you have already demonstrated a great ability to absorb knowledge, now you will be overloaded. Unfortunately we are having a minor skirmish in France and I am needed to take care of it, It shouldn't take more than a week. When i get back I shall test you to see what you have learned outside. You should be fully healed and ready to go by then." and with that he left her to finish her meal and begin with the daunting task of finding the beginning difficulty from the plethora of books surrounding her.


	5. Chapter 4

It had been around a day since Grindelwald had left and she was halfway through a book on a magic called _An Introduction to Transfiguration._ When there was a knock on her door. Before Helena could even say anything the door was opened and an older woman entered. She looked to be around her sixties with her white hair tied up into a messy bun. She was wearing a long brown dress with many pockets and holders covering it and held what looked to be a sack of books on her shoulder. She turned to Helena and began slowly walking towards her as though she had some sort of problem with her right leg.

"Hello dear my name is Bathilda Bagshot, I am Gellert's great aunt."

"Im sorry who?" Helena said getting up and turning another chair so that it would be facing hers and more accessible to the older woman.

"Grindelwald, dear, I am his great aunt. He told me he needed a teacher and I have been looking for a way to get out of retirement other than my writings. I am a writer you see of many magical history books and have helped write others books for academia. Not the one you are reading now of course, that is a tad simplistic for my taste. No I will be throwing you more into the thick of it! I believe it is the best way to learn, starting with one of my own books." She said slowly sitting down. Once she was situated she reached into her bag and pulled out a fairly large book. "This, my dear, is one of my pride and joys _A History of Magic._ We will use this as a starting paint practicing and such throughout to make sure your body remembers movements just as your mind remembers the words."

"Ah I see you are the teacher that that man has for me then. Well alright," Helena said closing her book, "Let us begin."

* * *

Helena needed a break. It had been a full week of a constant overflow of information for her to absorb. She didn't want to disappoint her teacher as she liked her very much and she was a wealth of information but she needed just some space to breath. She really did love learning about magic though. It did not feel like real studying sometimes. It felt like she was reading fairy tales and fake information, she had to constantly remind herself that what she was looking at was real and would work when applied in real life. The only difficult thing was to differentiate between a wand and her hands in the book. Apparently, grindelwald wanted her to try using her hands to learn the magic movements until they could get a wand for her. Or if she could simply do wandless magic. She didn't know which it was, but from everything that she read wandless magic was much more difficult and rare but she had never used a wand before anyway so there might not be a difference for her anyway. But either way no matter how much she enjoyed learning all this information she never realized that using your brain could make your entire body tired and achy.

She looked up from _The Decline of Pagan Magic,_ another book written by her teacher

She was using it as a break from A history of magic they were 2 thirds of the way through it which had Professor Bagshot, as she had insisted on being called, very proud she moved through the book so fast, well everything except things regarding potions. Helena had assumed it would be like cooking, but alas it did not. And the little intricacies of it just eluded her maybe because it was not coupled with movement but either way it continuously stumped her.

What she truly could not wait for was the moment she could go outside and practice, Professor Bagshot had been very detailed in her descriptions of what the magic would look like and the different effects it could have. But instead of distracting herself by daydreaming of actually using the magic she instead focused on the book about pagan magic. It was incredibly interesting and very different subject wise she could really see the differences between the two types of magic. It was originally taken from _Le livre des figures hiéroglyphiques_ or in english _The Book of Hieroglyphic Figures._ It was an altogether more physical and nature-based magic more working with other creatures it seemed like humans worked with wizards at one point as well as knew about their world there was not an indication about what time this changed but it definitely alluded to a time where the wizarding community was at least partially not hidden but a part of life.

"Are you reading or daydreaming?" Professor Bagshot asked looking up form her own work, "Because we can dive right back into some potions study if you would rather

"No I'm reading, but I was wondering from this book I can see evidence that at one point the wizarding community had contact with the muggle world as you call it. Why or when did this change?" Helena asked holding her place but putting the book down in her lap.

"Well," Professor Bagshot said taking a breath in, " There has been a lot of evidence that muggles used to seek out wizards or work with them as simple assistants but there was definitely a singular device at some point or at least that is what i believe. A moment where everything went wrong either a war or a persecution of one or the other. Im currently working on a book, History of Hogwarts a wizarding school, or Hogwarts, A History, Im still working on the title but anyway from my research on that I have uncovered that there was a reason for students to be sent off. That it seemed there was a need for a safe place for them to learn. It seemed that whatever this reason was war or illness, either is possible. I believe it was the reason that Salazar Slytherin was so against mudbloods. Not because of their being of a less magical calabar or something of that nature, but because he thought it was dangerous to have someone so connected to muggles in the school. You see if there was a large war with muggles at the time then accepting the children of them would have been a possible danger to the school. Of course, the other founders opposed it at the time and he was overruled. But accordingly, his house rarely accepts mudbloods as a result."

"Alright well that's very interesting but I have just a few questions, the first being what are these houses you mentioned and who are the founders of Hogwarts?"

"Oh right dear," she said closing her work, "You have never gone to wizarding school, i keep forgetting with how quickly you have picked things up. Well Hogwarts located in the highlands of Scotland was founded by two Wizards Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, and two witches, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. Each of them has a house which is named after them and had the qualities of each of the founders them self. When students live at the school, which all do, they live under one of the houses generally students under a house stick together and do not intermingle much. I actually taught there for a time. And do not tell Gellert but after teaching you I'm going to take a break and finish a small project after that i'm thinking of going back and teaching there to finish my history book."

''I see, so if I attended the school what house would I be in?" Helena asked curiously

"Well dear, I can not remember how they decided to be honest. It has been so long. Maybe one day you will be able to see it yourself you certainly have the ability to become a teacher if you did wish to. But I have taught others before and you seem like you want to go out and actually make something of your own not teach the old to the new. You absorb knowledge and study, not for the passion of learning but as though you have something else you are striving for," she sat waiting for a moment thinking harder as writers often do looking for the right words, "Your hunger for knowledge not purely for knowledge's sake."

There was a moment of stillness in the room. Helena was slightly taken aback she wasn't sure as to why she felt the words sting to hear, they were true and she didn't feel ashamed by it. She was learning as fast as she could so that she could help others who were right now being treated like rats. Like the dead, they were walking around as slaves to the whip that was this war. Maybe it was the fact that this woman was able to see so clearly that there was something else at play, and whether she knew it or not she wanted this older woman to care enough to ask.

"You know," Helena said breaking the moments' stillness, "When I first heard the name of this place, I was, well for lack of a better word terrified." She took a breath and leaned back in her own chair looking anywhere except the older woman. "My father's family was from Nuremberg. We lived in Munich, but we often visited our extended family there. They all lived in the same neighborhood and were a very close-knit group. But i remember distinctly the beautiful architecture beautiful colors on the buildings and the older style architecture and their beautifully decorated rooms. Their children all went to the best school and i used to be jealous of their fancy uniforms and backpacks. But I remember the arguing too. Especially the last few times we went there, we were not allowed to go out and play in the streets anymore. And their children had been kicked out of their private school. It wasn't a happy place anymore, but i still remember the last time I saw them all together was after lunch when we had decided to leave before it had gotten too dark to be about for us. The last thing my uncle said to my father was to get out of the country, i don't remember if my father even ever spoke to them again. But i saw my aunt almost a year later. She had been a jolly woman, always one prone to giggling and quick to laughter, but I couldn't even recognize her. She was the one who saw and recognized me. She was gaunt and barely a shell of herself. You could see straight through her eyes. She was hollow inside and practically dead, like most everyone around her. I knew not to mention my cousins because if they were not with her then it was likely than not they were dead. I was around her for three days before she disappeared, or was taken away, like so many of the other bodies. My family had been torn apart, killed, tortured, burned to the ground. But it's not just my family it is thousands of families and only god knows how many have suffered, but if i can learn something to help to do anything that could change the tide of the war then I will do it."

There was another silence as the older woman sat in slight shocked and hardened at the same time. Helena was still not able to look at the woman instead looking at the book in her lap. She had shared too much she thought. She had no idea where it had come from she didn't want to talk about it, she didn't think she needed to in order to learn, this woman wouldn't understand either way. She was a witch. She had grown up in a world with magic, in a world where fairy tales were true, and people made games of flying on broomsticks. She was not a part of the world that Helena had grown up in. She finally brought her head up to face ms. bagshot and the confused and sad look on the womans face made Helena cringe inside. She did not like that look whatever it was, and she decided to move on. This woman didn't understand and it was not fair for her to bring this sort of thing up to an older woman who was helping her.

"I think I am ready to continue with today's lesson." she said putting down the book on pagan magic, and picking up a book from a stack she had next to her. "I'd like to get through and finish charms and transfiguration before Grindelwald gets back so that I may practice for however long he lets me out of here."

* * *

It had been a full two weeks since Grindelwald had left. And Bathilda Bagshot for one was happy to see that he was going to be arriving any hour. Mostly because as much as she loved to teach she felt like she was more just entering information. There were only ever a few questions here and there, but for the most part, everything she told the girl would be absorbed and then given right back to her whenever she quizzed the girl. After a while, she even needed a break simply because the girl was moving to fast and to and from so many subjects that it even took her awhile to adjust. So when she heard the news that her grand nephew was finally back. She was one of the first to meet him at the gates at a speed which was rare to see one of her age move.

"Gellert!" she exclaimed upon seeing him at the gate, "You are going to have to get that girl out here to do some magic! She's going to be all over the place if she doesn't have some practical application!."

"So she is taking well to the material then."Grindelwald said looking past his great aunt with curiosity behind a tired face.

"No need to worry about that, she is progressing faster than I have ever seen a student. She has a passion and drive something spurring her on. More drive than one generally sees at that age. If she hadn't hit a wall with potions, I might have thought that she wasn't human with that way she practically drains the knowledge from me. She cant to is brew a decent potion to save her life, but thank goodness it gives me a break from just poring information into her and gives her a chance to find what she does wrong. I tell you sometimes I mess with the instructions just to get a moment where I can have a breath when she is stumped and working.".

"Well I can hear that you have been enjoying yourself then." Grindelwald said with amusement in his voice. "I'm glad to hear that you have not been bored of worse left with a dullard. Let's give her a break tonight from the learning. I will speak with her about going outside tomorrow morning. I will have to alert everyone to be extra careful just in case she blows when she gets outside."

"Now, how is that anyway to talk about the poor think. She's a girl not some monster, plus when you found her you said it looked like she generally had the upper hand. And for someone who had had an obscurus in them, surviving for so long is an incredible feet within itself."

"Yes but she has been without it for two weeks. That Is why i am telling you no more lessons today she will need all the rest she can get so that her mind and body will be ready for tomorrow."

"She will be alright, won't she? The poor thing has been through so much already" Bathilda Bagshot said hesitantly before getting to the entrance of Nurmengard.

"She is strong, she will be even stronger by the time we are done, that thought will keep her going. Don't worry so much, she is a survivor." and with that he turned into the dark building.

Grindelwald had been tired entering the building and his original plan was to see the girl for breakfast or sometime in the morning to tell her about the plan to go outside. But he needed to tell her to rest and prepare anyway she knew how, her body and mind for the influx of magic. He, being very honest with himself, had no idea what would happen. If she would just turn and burn from the inside out from the immediate influx of magic to her system.

He thought she was dead for a moment when she had first entered the building, he thought he had lost such a valuable asset and all that valuable time spent looking for her. It would be even more of a waste to lose her now after getting his great aunt here to teach her and get all those books, sprinkling in some dark magic in there for her to come across on her own. And though he had been slightly relieved when he realized that things were taking longer than expected in the field, they had come across some of what they thought would be some wizards sympathetic to their cause offering some valuable objects that could be used as infiltrating magic for the bureau.

After stringing them along for a day it became apparent that it was a trap, and they were being monitored by Whitehall's Aurors. Lucky he had noticed he started using fake information and his followers picked up in seconds making the situation change from getting infiltration tools to a chess board hunting trip. They had spent five days maneuvering through the town getting rid of the spys and getting sparse information from them before killing them. There were three but he was only able to get two of them before the third completely retreated with, thankfully, fake information on their army. Even though it was a red herring, he didn't like the fact that he had let a puny auror get away. But he did not have the energy to think about these sorts of things, he wanted to focus on seeing if this girl would even survive the next day.

He stood outside the Helenas door. Standing there a moment before knocking. After hearing a nondescript answer he entered. Helena was sitting on the floor overlapping two books shifting from one to the other not looking up she asked, "so when looking at the movements for the levitation, _wingardium leviosa,_ now you said it was a swish and flick," she moved her hands in the same motion that one would move their wand a graceful swipe up and a quick sharp movement down, "but here in Brookbanks _Books of Alternative Spellwork_ there is another listed levitation spell its slightly more complicated," she began moving her hand with a swoop up and again the sharp movement down, "Then it is a swoop back around clockwise and another flick" she was making the movements as she spoke, "Is there any validity or improvement to this or other simpler spells?"

"I would think there might be some difference, but is it worth it? If one is powerful enough, then the original spell is sufficient all these extra or alternate spells may amplify those with lesser magical abilities. But I doubt you are going to have that problem." grindelwald said, "But you can try tomorrow

Helena looked up from her books acknowledging him with her eyebrow arched, "so i will actually be let outside then." she said closing the book and getting up.

"Well of course! I did say that you would didn't I." he said moving to take a seat, he was more tired than he thought and the warmth of the room did nothing but exacerbate it. "I am interested to see what you have learned in such a short time. Bagshot has been very vocal about your prowess when it comes to absorbing information. Tomorrow will be your opportunity to show me if you can apply it."

Helena sat in the opposite chair from Grindelwald, "I am not going to lie im looking forward to that part; it is the other part the actual going outside that I am worried about."

"Right", grindelwald said lifting his hand from the arm of the chair so that he was leveraged to rest his head on his hand massaging his temple, "That is something that you will eventually have to do anyway, I can't imagine you wanting to stay here."

"No I am going outside tomorrow, but it... has been a while, and I have no idea about how or what will happen when I go outside. I doubt I will pass out again. We might need to evacuate the area if something happened. I can control it, but not all the time. I will have to go mentally and emotionally numb."

"Well then," he said getting up and moving towards the door. "Focus on that tonight and in the morning I will have a large part of the grounds emptied tomorrow, and some doctors stationed in the area. If everything goes as planned you will need them anyway." and with that he left through the door leaving Helena sitting thinking of what to do to prepare for the next day.


	6. Chapter 5

Hi everyone, still looking for a beta or just someone to help me look over this. I don't have time to go through all of it by my self so I just post when I am done. Consequently I miss a lot of grammar mistakes and tense stuff. DM me if you are interested or just leave a comment! Thanks

* * *

Helena was standing in front of the door, looking outside. Grindelwald and two other wizards she didn't recognize were standing behind him holding a barrier shield around a large section of the building. She could practically feel the spark of magic just tingling outside of the door. There was no one behind her, for fear that the effects could blow back into the building. She needed to focus, quite literally, think happy thoughts; the issue with happy thoughts though, is that when one tries to focus on them others thoughts keep getting in the way. So instead she tried to clear her mind. This whole process had been taking a bit of time, but she had decided last night that if worse come to worse she would just fucking do it. Just step outside and let whatever happened happen, but in practice, this thought was not as appealing.

She hated to admit it but she had grown to like having her body feel lighter and not as though lead was pumping through her veins. It gave her time to think through things and work though some of the events that she had been running from these past few months. She had been dealing with everything by letting the obscurus take control and run so much magic through her to the point that she couldn't think, and after leaving her in a painful hollow state where she was too tired to think. What she had to do now was just focus, or do the opposite of focus she still couldn't decide. Finally, after what felt to her, like ages she decided to treat it like going to sleep.

She was just going to focus on her breathing and playing Puccini in her head. In and out, in and out, and finally she took a step out on to the ground in front of her. The rush was immediate. She was standing just standing there paralyzed by the complete overtaking of magic and pain in her body. She felt like she was going to be sick there was a lead bowling ball in her stomach swirling around and around pulsating out into her blood and veins. The feeling of lead began creeping into her bones again making them hard and dense. Her body became heavier and hot and her breathing became labored. Her mind was no longer clear; pain began to flood her thoughts clouded by swirling black smoke and grit. Her breath became faster and faster. Like the feeling of being sick a pulse of magic and power moved from her center out. A black wave moved from her center out cracking the stones of the wall behind her before quickly dissipating. Leaving her coughing and like there was a knife in her gut. Breath. She kept thinking Breath over and over. She focused on trying to relax each muscle in the middle of her body moving up to her shoulders she took a big breath in bringing her shoulders up and breathed out rolling her shoulders back closing her eyes at the same time.

She could feel the Magic now, separate yet connected to the obscurus. Buzzing all over her skin, on her head, in her feet, her fingertips. She began to focus on the sensation of that, instead of her clouded thoughts and the pain in her bones. She pushed some of the buzzing and focused it to her hands they grew warm, not hot, but comfortable. She thought she might have felt something like this before, but she wasn't aware enough to do anything with it or hell even know what it was. But now she knew, and she could use it.

She moved her hand up and flicked it to the side at a bush. There was a wash of energy not just the normal attack of black grit and energy that came from her but this was more a wind there was power in it, different from what she was used to. Her body felt a jolt go through it like it was letting her know that she could move around; and she did the first thing she wanted to do, she moved her and up and with a quick motion down she said " _wingardium leviosa"_ then bouncing her hand up, and the bush she was facing flew from the ground roots and all.

"Oh ok, that's very sensitive," she said bouncing her hand up and up, with the bush going higher and higher into the air.

"Well generally, most students take a few times to get something like that…. but you are not a traditional student." Grindelwald said taking a few steps back. Looking up at the bush high in the sky now.

Without breaking eye contact with the bush above her she began lowering it, her hand gently bombing it down. "I don't know what I thought it would feel like but I didn't think it would feel like this." the bush was lowered back to the ground and she looked down at her hands with renewed interest.

"How does it feel?" Grindelwald said eyeing the girl, who was currently engrossed in touching her own hands

"Just not what I expected…. It… is hard to describe. It feels like webs, like cobwebs or cotton on my hands it is warm but it's strange. It is as though I became aware of all the hair on my body, every fiber or something. Its… I want to... kind of get it off" she said shaking her hands, "but I can't and that's in a way that's comforting too." she said mashing her hands now looking up at Grindelwald.

"Well then," Grindelwald said taking another step back, "Show me what you have learned."

Helena narrowed her eyes at him, "There is something I want before we begin anything of the sort." she said taking a step towards him holding her arm out, "I want a vow. I am not going back in that building or do anything more out here with you until I get it."

Grindelwald's face fell a bit before a slight smile appeared back on his lips, "Why don't we finish this practice and then before you go back inside, I will make a vow with you. I want to see if this is even worth my effort and life to make a vow to you." He said taking a few calculated steps forward. "I do have a war I am fighting too, and I can not throw my life onto a vow of which I have no idea if it will even help my cause. Now, my dear, I know this might sound selfish on my part, but you must look at this from my side. If you can prove yourself by the end of the day, I will give you your vow."

Helena lowered her arm, "You keep coming up with excuses, and though I don't like your terms; I will agree to it. And if you are not convinced, then that is fine too. I will just leave, go back to my side of my war. No gain, no loss except time for hundreds or thousands of lives that you tricked me out of. " Her sarcasm dripped out of every word

"Now, now, my dear there are not that many people who would have this type of opportunity, we are both in a rare and opportunistic place. You and I are both in unique situations of power. We need to approach every situation with caution and prejudice, you are not the only one with other people's lives hanging on you and time attached to this." he said with an unexpected suaveness.

"Well then, let's get to it then." she said swinging her arms back and forth then stretching them to either side.

Grindelwald watching her, carefully pulled out his wand, "Well then if you are so ready," he said raising it towards her, "Stupify!" he sent the spell shooting towards her.

Helena shook to attention moved quickly two pases to the left. "What the bloody hell was that!" she screamed looking at the place in the wall the spell hit.

"Well my dear, I am not the type of teacher who will have you just demonstrate spell after spell just to show you know it. I want to see if you can use it! Now come on! Hit me if you can! Use what that anger and frustration that you used to fuel that beast inside of yourself and funnel it into attacking me!"

Helena took a second to let what he said sink in then a small grin appeared on her face, she raised her arm and threw a spell at him missing him by a good foot. "Ok then let's do this" She took a breath in and began a tirade of spells, curses, jinxes anything that came to her mind she flung at him.

It had been over an hour and Helena was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Not only had she been bombarding Grindelwald with spells, she had been dodging as well. She was beaten around a bit with the occasional spell slicing her here and there. Not much damage but certainly enough to be a nuisance considering not one of her spells had landed on their intended target. Not one, and it was infuriating. Not to say that her aim was getting worse no, her aim was definitely improving. The issue was that as her aim was improving with practice the exhaustion was another hurdle she had to battle. She could feel her body giving in, it was already hard to move and react with the obscurus fighting inside of her, but the weight that she felt in her bones and the occasional internal pains were hard to get back to being accustomed to.

She moved to have her back against the wall of the large castle out of sight of Grindelwald taking a second to breathe. Before the exhaustion hit her she had almost gotten him, she had grazed his robes but the man began flying around! How was she supposed to get a man who was just flying around? She never saw any spell for flying around as though it was normal, on a broom, or aperating, but just flying it was absurdly unfair and infuriating. She looked down at herself for a moment she was covered with scrapes and dirt from dodging and skidding around the area. She looked up to the partly destroyed field in front of her there were even a few boulders here and there they had brought up to throw at each other.

She looked off in the distance the sun was not far from on its way down and there was a warm glow that was taking the land around her, out of the corner of her eye she could see Grindelwald appeared by her side, "We have created a bit of a mess have we not?"

"I would say we have most definitely created a mess." She said standing straighter not slouching on the wall, wincing only slightly.

"Well did you learn the reparo duo charm?" Grindelwald said

"Will that even work on all of this? I thought reparo was for smaller things like I don't know, repairing someone's broken glasses"

"Well there is Reparo Duo, which is like a bolstered version. We did make this mess, we should at least put forth an effort to clean up the majority of it." He said stepping forward waving his wand broadly over an area and the ground began moving back into its original landscaping. He looked back at Helena with an expectant look. Helena stepped forward looking at a particularly torn up area and waved her hand gingerly over it in the air, slowly saying "Reparo Duo" she watched with a small smile as the land began to form back together melding back into itself. She began moving to the next spot, thinking how much she liked spells that had a wider range.

Grindelwald watched her as she moved forward repairing large chunks of the yard and segments of the objects that were in the yard even one car that had its parts scattered over an area. It had been a long journey the past few days, but the surprise of today was worth it. She had faults, and yes she was certainly behind when holding standards to other witches and wizards her age, but the fact that she had absorbed this much so quickly was an exhilarating prospect of what she could become. What kind of witch would she be, would she even be considered a witch? He had been debating on this, was her magic so available to her because of the obscurus? Her way of moving her magic was so fluid so naturally flowing for her that the idea of her using a wand would be a waste. Would there even be a wand that would be compatible with her type of magic? He gripped his wand the elder wand. What could she do with this type of magic in the future...

She was still getting a handle of using her magic now though. Her aim was well off, and any power behind her spells were constantly fluctuating, there was either too much or not enough. But these are all things that can be learned by going back to a smaller scale and with more practice. But this, when all was said and done, was a resounding success. She would be one of the most powerful weapons he has ever found. But he was not going to tie his life to hers, an unbreakable vow was not something he was willing to tie himself to.

No, He was sure that she would be attracted to the power to the knowledge. He could see a spark of interest in her that he recognized, she would be easily drawn to dark magic and with her disposition, she wouldn't have the qualms that so many in the wizarding community had when considering the dark arts. She had a goal. And he would use that drive to keep her here until he was able to convert her to his own goals. He stepped forward repairing the rest of the yard in two swoops of his wand. Helena looked back at him with a look on her face not thankful for the help yet tired of the work at hand. She looked ahead of herself away from Grindelwald and the prison. She stood there for a few seconds before turning around and walking back towards Grindelwald. He began walking towards her meeting her in the middle of the field near the entrance to the gate of the building as the sun began it's slow descent down.

"I won't ask again about the vow, as it is obvious you never planned to give it…." she said looking back off into the distance. Grindelwald felt a tingle go up his spine at the thought that she was definitely thinking of bolting now that she was on the road to using magic properly and out of Nurmengard.

"But there are still other things that I can offer you, Knowledge, power, safely…" Grindelwald said taking a step closer to her looking down at her whilst rubbing his hands together

"A radio," she said abruptly,

"Excuse me?" Grindelwald said taken slightly back

"A what would you call it?" she said snapping her fingers until the word came to her, "A muggle, right a muggle radio, with access to news reports and military feeds. If you are not going to give me a vow I want that. And the ability to leave when I want to, with my word that I will return."

Grindelwald was quite for a moment going over her proposition. Slowly he began speaking 'I believe we can get you the radio…. But… "

"I could hear that coming."

"No, no, no, I'm willing to agree to limited and timely excursions. I believe they will be good for practice... But you must go with one of my wizards, and you will only have a limited time." He said holding one finger up then pointing it at Helena, "There are other organizations after you. They know what you are and though they don't know that you are currently under my tutelage that is the knowledge that neither of us wants becoming known. There are organizations that will want to come after you and destroy you, your kind is notorious and unpredictable that is a dangerous combination for organizations whose main aim is to stay hidden like mice, hiding from ants."

Helena looked back out away from Nurmengard, she took a breath and looked back at Grindelwald appraisingly, what was he thinking. She hated the sparkle in his eye, how eager he was to keep her around him, it all made her unsettled, yet the prospect of being able to leave when she wanted and return to her studies was what she wanted. It was a hint no an illusion of freedom. It didn't feel like a win, she was still losing the battle. She was the one consenting to another option other than an unbreakable vow. She was coming to him, not the other way around and they both knew it.

Nevertheless, she outstretched her hand, "Well then," she says "until the next time we try to maim each other, here's to you holding true to your word."

"I wouldn't think of breaking it." He said grasping her hand once again with both hands as he had done on their first meeting staring deep into her eyes as though they were trying to read her mind.

Helena first broke from the grasp all of a sudden feeling the dirt on her skin and the torn state her body was in she felt the sting of new wounds and she wanted nothing more than to get clean anything to forget the loss that she had just faced both on the field and in this partnership, or whatever he called it… tutelage. Ah yes well if he sees himself as a teacher then he shouldn't be surprised when his student finds her own way in the world, far from him. That is once she has absorbed every last bit of knowledge from him. Or at the very least all she deemed she needed.

"Well back inside then," Helena said making her way to the courtyard and the main entrance to Nurmengard.

With his robe flowing behind him he caught up with the young girl, looking down at her. As she was walking he noticed the scapes and a few deeper cuts on her arms, she didn't seem to pay too much heed them much. He felt an odd sense of pride in the fact that she was stronger than he thought she would be. This was not much to her, he could push her harder. She wouldn't break over even training harder than this, but even could or would break her.


	7. Chapter 6

Hello, still looking for a beta. just keep it in the back of your mind while reading if you see some areas that are a little confusing. please let me know if there are and i will try to clarify but also know it is the result of not having a second pair of eyes.

* * *

It had been just over two months, it was April now and the earth outside had finally given way to spring. She had been all over the place, most recently she had taken time to go to Denmark. It was a frustrating and fruitless endeavor. She went over as soon as she heard news of the invasion to the north Norway and Denmark were being quickly invaded. It took her three days to get there especially with the dead weight of the man that Grindelwald had insisted that she bring with her.

If anything he held her back, the majority of the time, the only good thing he did was set up the tent every night and make sure she keeps up with her readings, but all in all, he was entirely annoying. She felt limited by him he wouldn't let her fight in the thick of everything for fear that she would be completely revealed or be made into an open target. Both things she understood, but it was hard when she could see a battle that she could just plow through and be forced to just sit on the sidelines throwing individual curses and hexes into the ranks of the Nazis from a hiding place. The most frustrating thing was watching the allied forces continuously pushed back. Even when she was able to destroy a battalion there or create a distraction there it was never enough. Six days, that was all it took in total. Six days. Denmark had fallen. She returned numb. She barely spoke for three days and engrossed herself in speed reading. She had not gone back out since. She wanted to get stronger, make more of a difference, especially if this was how she was going to fight now.

Helena sat in her room in a large chair in the corner wishing there was a fireplace in the damned building not only for warmth but for just a different light source she had only a small lamp next to her bed on the rest of the room barley. She was sore and kept moving to different positions in an attempt for the pain to subside in some fashion. Currently, she was trying to engross herself in the literature about the nature of spellcasting. She was able to flip through much of it as the majority of the book was about wands, wand use, different types of wands, how they can be made, and even wand personality. Wand personality, what kind of rubbish did these people learn. "Well I suppose it is not rubbish to them." she whispered massaging the bridge between her eyes. She looked at the time, just as the hand on the clock on the table next to her turned to four.

Her eyes drifted towards her bed it was not far from her and plush with richly colored blankets and comforters. She had not been sleeping much. Today had been another training day with Grindelwald. He had pressed her harder today. They had been doing some target practice in the air, on a broom for her and him in a way just flying next to her. He had told her that if she could get her curses down that he would teach her. But she had the obscures, and she could move through the air when she wanted, it was just painful and not very elegant with bursts of power being wasted in every go. She had hoped that the activities of today would have been enough for her to go right into a dreamless sleep, but a lass she was woken around one in the morning in a hot sweat. She had had another dream about that man. They feel so real, sometimes she even wakes up and can't move but still feels his grip on her. It made her feel sick, and angry, and worse above all scared. She hated feeling scared again. She was not helpless. She was not the same girl she was someone, someone who could do something with her life she had escaped from the depths of hell stronger and fighting tooth and nail. She blinked hard a few times as though she could blink the memories out of her mind. She looked back down at the book she had been going through in a roundabout way to distract herself after she had woken. Then there was a light knock on the door.

Helena gingerly got up and wrapped a stray blanket around her made her way to the door opening it slightly. Looking up she was surprised to see Grindelwald.

"Can I help you?" Helena said her eyebrow-raising ever so slightly

"Well my dear I hear you haven't been sleeping very much as of late so I thought I might come by and see what you have been up to." he brought his hand around to show a container of tea and a bag of biscuits. " I brought some snacks as well"

Helena eyed him for a moment before opening the heavy door all the way to let Grindelwald flow through. He pulled out his wand whipping it towards a few lamps bringing some more light into the room.

With the soft glow that now enveloped the room, he could see that in a sense there was an organization to the mess that surrounded the room. A pile of books to once corner with papers making a circle in front of it. This style of literature decor was repeated a few times in different areas of the room. He walked over to the one close to a set of plush chairs with a coffee table in between. He set the biscuits and tea on the table and picked up the top three books off the pile next to the chair. Transfigurations book all of them. He opened the middle one, it was filled with notes and scribbles he could see the sections that she found useful and those she didn't.

Helena was still standing by the door her arms holding the draped blanket to her. "I hope you don't mind, I tend to be a fairly interactive reader." she began walking to an opposite side of the room towards the larger of the piles of books there were actually three stacks of varying heights. She picked one off the top of the pile. "I like to think there is an order to the madness, but I am sure it just looks a mess." she opened the book not paying enough attention to really skim the section before holding it to her chest.

"I can tell there is a categorical system it seems," Grindelwald said putting the books back on the pile before slowly taking a seat his layered robs folding over him. "Though I can't imagine Bagshot is content in this type of environment."

"Well, I would be a liar if I said she enjoyed it." Helena said walking towards the chair opposite Grindelwald. Taking the long way around the room to her chair, like a wolf uncertain of the animal in front of it. She eyed him with general untrust. "But Generally she sits near the desk in the corner where the mess is less noticeable." She eventually settled behind the chair.

"Well please sir, I don't want to be ungentlemanly. This is your room, after all, You should be comfortable."

"And yet I am not. Why are you here?"

"Well I thought my student might like some company since we were both awake I thought I might check up on you."

"So a checkup then?"'

"Of sorts." He said folding his hands in his lap. "I don't suppose you would tell me what keeps you awake at these early hours?"

"I don't suppose you are the type to mind your own business," Helena said sitting down not lightening her gaze.

"I have never been one to mind my own business" Grindelwald said pulling two cups from his large sleeve. "But then that is just my nature, and in general it is Human nature to be curious about things we do not know. And I know very little about you." He poured tea into the two cups setting one in front of Helena.

"Well what keeps you up at this hour, I thought men your age needed their sleep more than the young." Helena said picking up the tea smelling it and not drinking it.

"Well now that is a bit unfair, I am not yet an old man; I just have more of life under my belt than you do. More memories to keep me awake. More stories to keep my mind unsettled."

"Stories, stories keep your mind unsettled? Well, I will tell you this much I have never lost sleep over a story in my life far as I can remember."

"It is not only fear that can keep a mind awake. Have you heard the story of the three brothers?"

"It does sound vaguely familiar."

"That story has been keeping me up now and then since I was a boy." Grindelwald said, "It is a tale by Beedle the Bard." He settled himself deeper into the chair. Taking a sip of his tea as he recanted the story, "Three brothers, traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight reached a deep treacherous river where anyone who attempted to swim or wade would drown. Learned in the magical arts, the brothers conjured a bridge and proceed to cross". Grindelwald leans forward rifling a biscuit from the basket. "Who do you suspect is on that bridge they conjured?"

"I can not say I rightly know who." Helena said slightly peeved that the old man she had now surmised had only come here to tell her a bedtime story, "Was it a monster of sorts."

"No, not a monster, but death himself. And he was enraged at the three brothers, for he felt cheated out of his due for crossing the river. In his anger, he concocted a plan for the three brothers. Death cunningly pretended to congratulate them and proceeded to award them with gifts of their own choosing." After inspecting the busquet he began to eat it gingerly. Talking between bits, not muddling his words but taking more time to get through the story. "Death granted his wish by fashioning the Elder Wand, from a branch of a nearby elder tree standing on the banks of the river. The second brother was arrogant, and he chose to further humiliate death, thinking he was clever he asked for the power to bring back the dead from the grave. Death granted his wish by crafting the Resurrection Stone from a stone picked from the riverbank."

"A stone, that has the power to bring back the dead. How utterly sacrilegious." Helena said laughing at the idea, "Men asking for more power over man and gods how unique." she mumbled into her tea before taking a sip.

Grindelwald huffed a bit at the girl's attitude, but undeterred continued with his story. " the youngest brother was a wiser man, he did not trust Death and asked for something to enable him to go forth without Death being able to follow. Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Invisibility Cloak. Now, the three brothers took their prizes and soon went on their separate ways. The first in his lust over the power of the elder wand used it to kill an old foe. After getting drunk in a nearby tavern he began boasting of the power he had and where he got it from. That night death transfigured a murderous wizard who slit his throat in the middle of the night."

"I see so death goes through and reclaims the lives of those who should not have crossed the river through the things they had asked for." Helena interrupted

"Well in a manner how about I finish the story, I'm surprised you have gotten so far in you lessons considering how you interrupt."

"Well generally I am being given information and not fairy tales." Helena quipped back

"Fairies are real my dear and tales hold more truth to them now than they might have when you were living as a muggle." slight irritation seeped into his voice. "The second brother went back home where he proceeded to bring back the woman whom he loved from the dead. But she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. She did not truly belong in the mortal world and suffered."

"The dead are dead, they should never be brought back it's unfair to them to drag them back to this world."

"The second brother understood that only after he had resurrected his love, and her existence only brought him pain and misery. He hung himself in his despair, and so death claimed the second brother. But the third hid from death, he was untouched till he had reached a ripe old age. And when the third brother thought it was time he passed the cloak onto his son and greeted death as an equal."

"So be clever, is the moral, oh and have a magic cloak to escape death?"

"In a manner, but that was never what entranced me by this story. If the brothers had stayed together if deaths gifts had stayed together then in combination their power would have been equal to that of death. The most powerful wand in existence," Grindelwald grabbed the wand within his own cloak pulling it out, "The Elder wand. I have had it my possession since I was a young man. The resurrection stone is rumored to be held by someone in the Gaunt family out there and so is the cloak, somewhere. These stories are steeped in truth and there is old powerful magic in them, together the three magical items are known as the deathly hallows. Imagine what one wizard could do if in his possession he had all of that power together, the change he could bring for the greater good."

"The greater good, as slogans go, you have picked a pretty bland one." Helena said sipping on her tea, "You have certainly said it enough so that it stands out from what you say on a normal basis."

"Well I did not come up with it, a dear friend of mine did."

"Ah, and where is this dear friend now?"

"Allas we parted ways a very very long time ago. We were as close as brothers and we parted, as I think in his eyes, enemies. But," he said getting up out of the chair, "The power that we both studied together was that of conquering death and the most power and witch or wizard has ever had. The wand the stone and the cloak are called the Deathly Hallows. They are represented here in this necklace and would, if brought together, give me the power to end this war setting a new order that would bring all of wizarding kind into the place it was meant to be and the muggles into theirs. That would include ending whatever squabled or wars of their own."

"Squabbles huh," Helena crossed her leg putting her tea down, "You have such a nonchalaunt view of war, you have never truly looked into the thick of it, it is bloody and violent it is in the nature of man; magic wont stop that magic can't stop mans war, or muggles war as you would put it, only muggles can stop it, but I must say the wrong side is winning for now."

"And you are a witch, something outside the realm of muggles, yet you continuously put yourself in the middle of their war as though it is yours."

'It is my war."

"I thought you said it was the muggles war."

"I was a part of that world I was effected I was shaped by what I experienced, by what it took from me. It took everything. And it is taking the same from so many innocent lives. How can a human sole now this and not step in, not do something when they know that evil of the highest order is being done to your people."

"Your people now, not muggles?"

"You may have tried to distance me from associating myself with normal people but you will never disassociate me from my religion, for that is always with me. God and his lessons."

"I did not know you were so religious." Grindelwald said looking at her a bit of a smirk forming on his lips

Helena went quiet, she had let her defences fall, she did not speak of her religion because it was not safe to, it is never safe to preach in a place where you are still trying to understand the customers. It is never safe to speak of anything personal here with this man especially. "Yes. I am." Helena looked at the clock he had only been here for forty five minutes but it now felt as though it had been hours. "And Power can be a man's religion too, just as sometimes power is the reason behind a man's quest for religion. You do not seem like the religious type."

"There are many mysteries in the world, muggles answer them through religion, wizards answer them through magic for it is what we are."

"Magic can not answer everything, it is limited just like everything else."

"Only to the weak. Never limit yourself to that notion. I have always been entranced by history, lore, and the powerful mystique of magical artefacts, the deathly hallows being paramount to what I plan to be and to who I am meant to become. IT is a fear of death that drives most to religion. Yet if I had them all," he said twirling the want between his fingers, "what question could I not answer, what obstacle would be large to me after that."

Helena sat quiet for a bit sitting in the chair staring off at nothing particular letting the morning silence settle in the room like a quiet lake before she sent her words like ripples across it. "Perhaps you did not understand the story message… the third brother lived a full life, greeting death like an old friend, the story is not meant to show how one can avoid or trick death… but how one should meet him. After living a full life and passing on what he had to his child."

Grindelwald eyed the girl for a moment before a small smile formed on his lips, "I suppose we all take what we want from that story, after all like you said it is just a story." He bent down to pick up his flask of tea leaving the busquets on the table, "But the magic is real." With that he made his way for the door, "I have so enjoyed our chat this morning, we shall do it again sometime." and with that, he left, leaving the room in an unstill quiet, that left Helena feeling colder and even more unsettled than before.

Helena move quickly to the door locking it from the inside, no matter if it didn't do anything, the motion of locking the door gave her some sense of comfort. She looked back towards her bed, she needed to get some sleep if she was to make the lessons tomorrow stick. She made her way to the bed turning off every light on her way. She got under the many blankets and shivered into the mattress getting comfortable. As she closed her eyes she began to think of why Grindelwald wanted to tell her that story, and of the deathly hallows. The concept of having power over death, as much as she didn't want to admit it deep inside she felt the temptation of the thought.

* * *

Months passed like this studying most days till the sun went down, often long after as well. Every week or so she would get a visit from Grindlewald, he had made it a habit to speak with her about this and that. A few days a week she would go out to physically practice either with him or with some other wizard from his army; her aim and controle got better and better every time she went. Every now and then she would go out to the front in France doing what she could. Unbeknownst to her, there was someone else who would follow her there every time. Gathering information on her and following her back to Nurmengard. Watching, and waiting for orders.


	8. Chapter 7

**HI everyone thanks** **for reading this far! We are one chapter away from Hogwarts! I am still on the hunt for a beta to help with editing so feel free to message me about it if you are interested.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think so far!**

* * *

Helena had another day of sitting in her room doing more self-study; generally, this fell under the realm of the dark arts, the defense against them, combined with some lighter transfiguration material switching back and forth as her mind shifted gears. Her radio was playing news reports and updates in the background it was high enough so that she could hear it yet not loud enough for it to be completely distracting. All sense of time almost seemed suspended as the room had no windows or outside light coming through. Like this, she worked going on and on only stopping occasionally for bathroom breaks unaware of time until there was a knock at her door. She looked to her clock and it read three in the morning she stretched from her work realizing that once again she had surrounded herself in a circle with her notes and various books. She maneuvered herself through the circle and moved one or two books out of the way then made her way to the door opening it and then moving back to her spot.

"You know you do still have to eat." Grindelwald said coming into the room with a chuckle. "And there is such a thing as using shelving, perhaps putting books back where they came from so that normal wizards could find them again."

"Yes but normal wizards wouldn't generally be reading this type of material now would they." she said looking up at the older man, he was wearing a well-tailored pair of grey pants and matching vest under two separate robes one lighter grey and light, the other a heavier almost velvet robe with some sining designs over it. "Another long day for you as well I see."

Grindelwald sat down in his normal seat, pulling a sandwich out of one of the folds of his robes and handed it down to Helena. She began to eat small bites of the sandwich then realizing her hunger for the first time that day she ate a bit faster. He pulled another out for himself biting into it giving her a nod in confirmation to her statement. He looked down at one of the books surrounding her his eyes lighting up a bit, wiping his hand on his robe he reached down and picked up an older grey book with some black runes on the front. He lightly brushed his hand over the book before gingerly opening it to the middle running his fingers down the pages more glancing at the words than actually reading them. For a moment he seemed as though his brain was lost in a far off memory his eyes glazing over before he swiftly brought himself back. He then snapped the book shut and looked down at Helena. "You know this was one of my favorite books back in school," he shuffled a bit n his seat getting comfortable. "At Durmstrang, well before i was expelled, I used to study ancient artifacts and runes. That used to be a book I would steal from the restricted section of the library every so often."

"You have told me about a few of these books that you have taken from the restricted section," she looked around her before picking up a small but thick black notebook, "Ah this was the one last week you went off about where the librarian almost caught you, the experiments of Wilabard the Wandering Wizard; now this I can understand why it would have been restricted. He practiced magic on muggles using them as test subjects for spells that he would create." she put the book back down before picking up another book she had been making notes in the day before, "Interesting how all of these restricted books ended up here in the middle of lesson books."

"Well I may have put them here, but you are the one who has read them. Some people are drawn to information, to the dark arts the narrow minded would say. And if they were truly as dangerous as people say then it would have been harder to sneak in than it was. All one needed were a few basic unlocking charms and some well placed illusionment spells and you could have your pick from the restricted section. Generally the schools think that the words restricted section keep the students out, but those who truly yearn to learn will find their way there" he said huffing, "These are just another form for magical study. Just a slightly more controversial one my dear." Suddenly there was a crackling sound going over the radio, a German voice barking orders and commands flowed through the sound waves. "Sounds like a group of Germans are going to intercept some french supply trains; that sounds like your sort of…. thing, does it not?" Grindelwald said looking around the room picking up another book looking at it, yet not fully reading it waiting for some sort of response.

Helena sat a bit more taking a moment reading before writing some notes in another book. Taking a minute before responding. "France is lost. They barely have a resistance going. I don't know who the supplies are going to I don't know who is sending them. It is not worth going out in the middle of winter. Hell, December has only just arrived. A whole blessed year has passed." Helena snapped her pen to the floor before shutting her book and looking towards the door. "And the only good thing that has happened was that Hitler was stupid enough to try and invade Russia. Because at this point that is really the only thing that makes sense. Who the hell attacks Russia in winter, the thought is absurd." Helena turned to Grindelwald her tone was sarcastic but more matter of fact and dull. "But then again you don't care about any of this. So why bother asking? Just idle curiosity? Or hath hell frozen over and you have run out of stories to tell."

"Well Maybe I just didn't realize I was running into a fight here." Grindelwald said with a chuckle. "You wanted the radio to hear about interesting advances in the war. I am simply asking how your efforts are going." He sat forward in his chair. A more sincere expression sliding over his face. "I know the war is not looking good, but you are making some difference. I am an old man, i know it, and if you listen to any advice of mine it would b to stay out of the way of yourself. You are the only one who can hold yourself back."

Helena felt, uncomfortable, hearing compliments. She felt like they were undeserved and she cared more about seeing results rather than hearing people tell her about them. Especially when it came to her main fight with the Nazis. Any fight with them was a fight worth fighting, she knew that yet she found herself going out there less and less. It wasn't that she was tired of fighting. No she actually enjoyed the fighting more now that she had more creative ways to kill them, it was the fact that no matter how good of a fight she had, no matter how many she killed, they just kept coming." Like weeds in a garden, they just keep popping up everywhere. You have to get all the way to the root and pull it out from there." she put her arms behind her holding up her weight as she stretched, she didn't like feeling useless but this war was making her feel like a fly. "And I can not get to the root unless I expose myself and as you said neither one of us wants that happening. And the people who really need saving…. Their locations are not even mentioned I haven't heard of one since I have gotten the radio." she breathed in, and let out a strained sigh, "I don't want to think about this right now if you don't mind I'd rather keep studying or hell even listen to one of your pathetic childhood stories, my apologies I meant endearing childhood stories."

Grindelwald let out a small chuckle. "You are getting tired of having to play on their field aren't you. Muggles I mean. It is purely barbaric and animalistic in nature. They are truly like ants appearing out of nowhere and in annoyingly large numbers. But in within their nature they are weak and cruel."

"You have not interacted with many, muggles I mean" Still leaning back on her arms she looked up at the ceiling. "I think weakness and cruelty are in everyone to various degrees, life brings it out of all of us. Just like witches and wizards there are different types of people innocent ones and scared ones who need help. And I was one of them and now I have an obligation to help. Or at least that's how it feels, I just don't know if I'm helping the situation anymore. I was so sure that plowing through, I don't know, I still think the fight is worth fighting. I just don't know where to fight anymore. It is nice to have this," she said gesturing to the books around her, " to distract myself though."

"Well there will always be another fight, in both our wars there is an obvious end goal, but it is a long road ahead and there are many ways to fight to get there. Wars are difficult, they are not a race or a sprint these days. They are more complicated and have more moving parts than most realize. Many people get left behind and forgotten in the smoke." they both sat in relative silence for a while just thinking to themselves comfortable moving from one thought to the next not letting themselves linger on one thought too long. Eventually Helena picked up her book again, Grindelwald picked up another next to her and mused over it while she did her work. They sat like this for a while before Grindelwald eventually got up and stretched a bit before turning to Helena, "Well I believe this is it for me, I need to get a few hours of sleep for tomorrow's meeting."

"Going off base for it?" Helena said not moving from her book, and trying to put away the thought of missing her sparring partner. And as if reading her mind Grindelwald replied, "No worries I have a few people lined up in case you wanted to go out tomorrow."

"I hope they are better than the last ones you sent, I don't know if they are going easy on me or just slow but it's quite boring dueling with them." Helena said closing the book while also getting up.

Grindelwald looked up and off towards nothing and had a small smile inching over his face before looking back at the girl, "Well I didn't say they were a replacements, now did I? I don't want you actually getting serious with one of my underlings, you might actually kill one of them you know." he gave a light chuckle before un ruffling his cloaks "But yes, I'm going to to the colonies."

"Well I hope you have a productive trip." Helena said walking him towards the door, "Till next time then." she said opening the door letting him go through. " Yes, till next time." Grindelwald said moving through the doorway. She hated to admit it but even though she didn't trust the man there came a comforting normalcy with his visits that she had come to enjoy enjoyed. They had shared stories about their childhoods, well mostly him, though she would on occasion open up she never told him about the times in the camps, it wasn't worth the pain it put her through to talk about. As she closed the door behind him see looked back at the room as if looking at it with fresh eyes she wondered if this was how her brain worked cluttered yet organized in a fashion that only she could discern. Moving her way through the room she sat in the same chair Grindelwald had been sitting in it was still slightly warm and for the first time she saw the room from this angle, the angle was focused in her little circle on the flow and with the radio in the back, she could hear the low buzzing coming from it. She could hear a british report coming through nothing of importance. She leaned her head back letting out a light groan as she got up and moved towards the radio with a bit of frustration running though her she flicked it off for the first time.

* * *

The next morning she woke uncharacteristically late. She had not slept in since well.. She couldn't even remember. She looked down at the piles of books on the floor wondering what she might uncover in them today, though something in her felt slightly off in the room. It felt still and too quiet. In the back of her mind she kept thinking to turn on the radio, turn on the radio, just turn it on. She slowly got out of bed shivering at the cold touch of the air on her skin. Walking over to the radio she turned it on. After a few minutes of crackling she could finally get the sound of a british hurried voice over the static.

"Japan has attacked America. I repeat Japan has attacked Pearl Har.. the words faded into the back of her mind as her brain churned. What has just happened. What the… she felt her heart rate increase her chest hurt and her breath became hard to controle. She had to do something to release this swarm of emotions and energy out of her before it became too much. Before she knew it she was running to the front entrance past guards and other various wizards and witches that moved out of her way. She pounced out of the front doors not even taking a moment to see who was a round her the obscurus took over throwing her into the air violently away from the prisons main gate. With all the energy that was in her chest, she began haphazardly throwing spells into the area around her. The obscurus moved frantically uncontrolled she didn't want to control it she felt too, too, then it started heading to the nearest thing it could kill the prison, but before it could she fought for control again putting everything into a box and molding herself into a body again before settling down on the ground.

Couching at the sudden pulling in of the obscurus she took a few minutes to let her body adjust itself to the weight and energy again. Breathing in and out controlling every breath. She looked up at the prison it was a good ways a away she had pushed off fairly far. Then she began laughing. Soft at first a mere chuckle then it got louder and slightly erratic, "Finally!" she said her laughing dying out "now we have a war on our hands the Russians from the North and America coming from the coast!" she took a large breath in and plopped to the ground. She could see some wizards on their brooms flying towards her from the Prison. She put her hand in the air sending up some sparks assuming that they were looking for her.

Then she saw blue lights shoot up from the ground hitting three out of the four wizards that were heading her way. Helena lifted herself up on alert she got up and began moving towards the group. Sensing a fight her body reacted by trying to shift to let the obscurious out, but before she could even decide whether to let it out she fell to the ground as though something had bound to her leg. She turned but nothing was there looking up she saw another wizard appear behind her then out of nowhere three more wizards appeared behind him. She could hear off in the distance the shouting of spells. No, she would not be taken out like this. She got up as well as she could even though she didn't have much use of her right leg. Two of the new wizards also flung casts at her. Sure of what she was doing she moved her arm casting a protego over herself and deflecting the spells."So it can do magic like you said Artimus." one of the witches said in awe

"I know. Now move!" said the male next to her, at that the wizards and one witch fanned out moving around Helena, but not before she began firing spells and blasts of energy sending two of the wizards falling back. She briefly turned her attention towards the Prison behind her she noticed that only one of the wizards who had come for her was even still standing and he looked worse for wear. Turning back to her opponents. "I do not want to kill you just back off now!" she yelled out, "This is not my war!"

They were in a large semi circle around her now she didn't need this right now, there was a new fighting chance on her front for the war and she didn't want to….. She was broken from her thoughts as she saw a man draw a vile from his waistcoat. Before she could even ask or figure out what it was he rolled it towards her and all four of them sent a spell at it. Ok that was it, she wanted out there was no reason to get caught up in this wizard battle anymore she began to release the obscurious if it hurt them at this point she didn't care what mattered was that she would be able to fight her fight a latter day.

Then strings of silver shot up from the vile grabbing onto her and the obscurious that was forming around her. She tried to pull from it but it held tighter to her. "What the hell is this!? I was leaving!" she tried to fully let the obscurious go let it take over, it would get her out of this, but something was cutting through even the pain from the obscurus. It was like burning water flowing over her and before she knew it all she could see was silver that faded into black.

* * *

She was slowly coming back into contientincse she could hear voices in the background they were arguing a younger voice said, "You told me you would not use this to hurt her, i did not give you that to imprison her Albus. You of all people should know that! I heard the report she wasn't attacking with it she was attacking with magic, wandless magic Albus!" Albus she recognized that name, but her mind was still foggy she couldn't place it.

"It was the Ministry that decided how to use it not I, Newt." came a calmer older voice

"Right, and when was the last time the ministry told you to do something and you just went along with it?" there was a slight pause before the younger voice came again, "I have had enough of this dirty business." and with that there was the clear sound of a door opening and closing.

Helena could feel the cold chains on her there was something different about them though, they were buzzing and heavier than she would have expected. She was sitting in a chair awkwardly bound. She could feel the obscurious inside of her, but it was not as stirringly agressive as it usually was. It felt tied down too somehow. The chains must suppress magic or something. She tried to lightly open her eyes to get a view of her surroundings without letting on that she was awake. Unfortunately, that seemed not to matter for even though she was peeking though she was staring right into blue eyes that were situated at her level.

"No need to pretend, I can tell you are awake." the older man known as Albus said…. Albus she knew that name how did she know that name… slowly opening her eyes she shifted her self up on the chair everything was stiff from being in a strange position. As she fully opened her eyes she could see that she was in a very dark room the only light coming from a mysterious source above her head. She let her eyes adjust looking up the older man infront of her. He was wearing purple and gold robes his beard a greying auburn color. The room was silent and it became apparent that he was waiting for her to talk or simply just obsurving her.

"So, where am I?" she said evenly,

"This is the Ministry of Magic." the olderman said passing to the other side of the room, "I am sure you have many questions, but they are about finished with Benedict Budlesworth."

"And who is that?" Helena asked unsure of how she was supposed to respond, leaving her face a resting even expresion.

"One of the wizards that was taken from Nurmengard along with yourself. You claim to not know him?"

"I'm not really the social butterfly type I do my work and everyone leaves me be. Now look I have a newly invigorated war to fight in and I would appreciate it very much if I was let loose of whatever this is, and let to go on my way. This is not my fight." Helena said rolling her neck around trying to get a kink out. The old man Albus, wait Albus finally it hit her "Albus Dumbledore," she said slowly, "That is you right?" There was a slight nod from the man as he studied her she continued, "I have heard so much about you you know. He had so many childhood stories that include you." she could see a myriad of emotions pass through his eyes concern and fear being present among them, but interest laying on the surface. "Nothing very bad I assure you," she said with a slight smile, recalling all the stories of their studies into the dark arts and his sister, his poor sister. "Look, you need to tell them that I am not part of any of this. We had an arrangement he was teaching me and that was it."

"You will have a chance to speak your part, a spesial council has been brought together to decide what should happen with you. I just wanted to get a look at you before…at that moment another wizard hurried through the door with a handful of papers. The little man scurried up to Dumbledore and held the papers up whispering something in his ear. He nodded briefly before the little man scurried to exit. "Well it seems as though this time has run out, I shall see you soon Mrs. Hornstein. Be confident and true in your answers.'' and with that he also left the room.

She was frozen the moment he said her name. How did they find it she had not told it to anyone she had not written it down, how, how? She could feel her heart rate rising her breath coming labored she told herself to breath just breath they are wizards, not Nazis, they don't care about religion they care that you are a monster. Just breath you can get through this. A few moments later she heard gears turning and she felt the chair she was on rising with the circular cage around her. It was a moving cage that she was in and it was moving up towards the at a rough and jolty pass. Then lights beamed at her from all direction, blinded she closed her eyes for a moment before blinking to let her eyes adjust.

She looked around her she was sitting in front of a large panel of muscle men in strange clothes some wore dark clokes others were in strange and moving prints that almost came off the cloth itself. The General atmosphere was dark as they whispered next to each other staring at her with reserved eyes. The one in the middle of this group was an older man with a large mustache in what looked like formal judging robes, he lightly tapped his malet onto the podium in front of him.

"Now Ms. Hornstein, do you know why you have been brought here?" the man said evenly not looking up at her.

Helena looked around the room unsure of how exactly to act, but she sat up straight and decided to figure out what was going on. "No, and i'm not entirely sure what is…"

"Ms. Hornstein," the older man said interrupting her, "answer the questions given please and nothing more." his words were curt and sharp cutting through the air in the room. "You have been brought here on three charges the first being a follower of Grindelwald and and enemy to the mistry and the wizarding community. The second being an unregistered witch using illegal magic, and the third charge use of magic against muggles. Do you understand these charges. That would be a yes or no please, I don't want this to take all day."

Her mind racing trying to get her thoughts in order all she could muster was a curt, "Yes."

"Good." the older man said shifting in his chair. "Now going to the first charge, how do you plead?"

She took a moment unsure of the laws or how to phrase hr answers, "Not guilty, I never did Grindelwald building and I was not part of his army."

"But you have been living with him and under his tutelage is that correct?" he said looking down and picking up a few papers that were in front of him. "You would also dule with him and his followers for spectators for propaganda is that not assisting his cause, Ms. Hornstein?"

"What!? I never did that!" her forehead wrinkled then cleared as it dawned on her, "look I did train with him he was teaching me magic, but I never did anything knowingly for his army including propaganda, if people were watching or photographing me I had no knowledge of it." It was the truth, but she could absolutely believe that it was something Grindelwald would do.

"Well it is lucky for you that the other witnesses have corroborated your story, but never the less you understood that you were being tutored by a dark wizard, correct?" the man said lazely

"I knew that he was in a war I didn't realize that he was a dark wizard per say."

"Per say? Ms. Hornstein."

"Well I knew he studied the dark arts but I was under the impression that that was just a field of study." she said trying to gauge the expressions of the dimly lit spectators, she could barely make out the Dumbledore in the back.

"Field of study indeed , moving on you openly admit to using and practicing magic underage, unschooled, and illegally correct?"

Feeling frustrated and embarrassed at not knowing anything about wizarding law she responded "Again, I am going to have to say that I was unaware that it was illegal sir."

"I see." he mumbled looking down he pursed his lips and rifled through a few papers again till he found what he wanted. "Now for the most serious charge Ms. Hornstein. There are numerous accounts of you attacking muggles and interfering with their war. Is that correct?"

"It is not just their war. It is my war! I was just as if not more affected by it than many muggles as you would call them. It is my right to fight for those who are imprisoned and can not. I need to help them, they need my help." continuously getting more and more frustrated the more she thought about her predicament she realized she needed to calm down and began breathing in and out calming her emotions and her reactions. "I have no reason to interfere with this wizard war, it is not my fight, my fight is out there with the Nazis."

"That is enough Ms. Hornstein. So you do admit to attacking these nazi muggles, then with magic them." he said over pronouncing the words

'Oh I attacked them with more than just magic, as I am sure you are well aware." she said, "They deserved everything they got."

"I see." he said, "and yes we are aware of your… state of being." there were murmurs in the crowd many glaring at her some just openly gawking. "Now Ms. Hornstein, under normal circumstances, you would be sent to Azkaban. But these are not normal circumstances. It is obvious you no know nothing of this world, its rules, or culture. You have fallen through the cracks of the ministry and in part it is the ministries fault." he sat back and folded his arms over his chest staring into her eyes, "There will be repercussions for what you have done in regards to the muggles, but there must be time to judge what that punishment might be. " he inhaled slowly picking up his gavle, "in that time you will be released into the custody of Albus Dumbledore," murmuring began in the crowded getting louder as he continued, "and you will attend Hogwarts where you are expected to be a model student and catch up to understand the wizarding world and its laws." he calmed the gavel down picking up his papers and the room erupted into argument and yelling.

Helena's chair began to move down as she could see the arguments erupt. But before everything went out of view she could see the old man turn and give a brief not to Dumbledore before turning back to exit the room.


	9. Chapter 8

**HI thanks for making it this far it has been a bit since my last update, mostly due to me not being fully satisfied with what I'm putting out there and taking the time to edit, so if anyone knows of a beta or you are a beta that would like to work on this please DM me!**

 **thanks for reading and leave a comment on how ya think it is going**

* * *

Helena had been sitting in her cell for a few hours now after the trial ended she heard a few hurried people walking by but heard nothing of consequence. Finally, she heard the door open and from the light of the room behind him came Dumbledore.

"You have caused quite a commotion up there young lady. But everything has been worked out. Now a warning, stay calm, you have on magic suppressing chains so you won't be able to escape even if you wanted to." he walked up to the cage and opened it unfastening the chains that held her to the chair but not the ones binding her hands.

"So I am just supposed to go with you quietly then."

"It is your best interest to do so, you do not know how lucky you are that this was your sentencing," he said walking her out of the cell towards the door and out into the hallway. It was also dimly lit with flickering lights lining the walls. He continued talking as they walked, "Not many know of who or what you are save for the council and a few arorers. We don't want to start a panic in the community if they were to find out there was an obscurus in the school. But it is the safest place for you. Grindelwald has a chance of breaking you out of Azkaban if he wanted but no one thinks he will come near Hogwarts.'' they moved towards a large door that went outside.

Helena could not believe what she was seeing, It was a large carrisge with a team of flying horses, they were jumping up and down when they caught sight of her, they were held by anchoring men so they would not fly off. "Flying Horses. This world is truly ridiculous" she mumbled as she was walked towards the carriage. It was silver and black an odd shape very boxy but with curving designs on it, and bars on the windows. A regular first class flying prision was what it looked like. Dumbledore took a few steps in front of her pulling her into the carriage. The interior was wall to wall black leather, Dumbledore's vibrant cloak and robes set him in contrast almost as though he was glowing against the backdrop. She situated herself on the opposite side facing him. The door closed and then they were off with a joilt.

On a side though she wondered to him,"How did you know my name?"

"There is a list that automatically registers every wizard and witch with magical talent in the ministry, Hogwarts takes from that list, somehow your name fell through the cracks, there was a letter sent to you but it went unnoticed by both Hogwarts and your family. It almost never happens, but with this war going on things and people get lost." There was another moment of silence as they rode hearing the horses wings gliding through the air at an incredibly fast pace.

"Give me your hands this will only take a moment." he said pulling his wand from his robes, and with no choice and no way to escape she lifted her hands in front of him. He grabbed them from the shackles in the middle turning them so that they were palms up. He then waved his wand over them in a figure eight motion speaking mumbled spells that she couldn't fully understand, as he repeated it she could see brown runes appear on her wrists after they fully formed he let go of her wrists and sat back.

"So is this branding or binding," she said rubbing her wrists as she felt a tingle where they were.

"You could say it is both, they will keep you in the school boundaries and serve as an activator to bind your obscus if needed. You will stay at Hogwarts as any other student, you will learn and interact normally. This was deprived of you as a child and now you are getting the opportunity, I suggest you make the best of it because there is no negotiation. If you hurt or severely break the rules I can not stop them from taking you to Azkaban, and trust me that is not a place you want to be." He looked at Helena as though he was expecting her to say something, but there was nothing she wanted to say she felt lead in the pit of her stomach sick and frustrated, this is what happens, Grindelwald was right there was no chance they would let her go back onto the field and fight to save people her people. She was cornered all she could do was sit back and bide her time until she found a way to get out of all of this.

It was mid day by the time they arrived. As they flew around the school she could see there were students at many of the windows crowding around to see what the commotion was about. She shifted very uncomfortably as they landed. Dumbledore handed her a black cloak to drape around her so that the shackles wouldn't show, apparently the headmaster was the one who was supposed to take them of and keep them just in case.

She stepped out onto the cobblestoned entranceway, she kept her head high looking only straight ahead as he guided her through the halls to the headmaster's office. When she entered she saw an ancient man sitting at the desk he had a long face covered with a stark white beard and ful silver hair. He looked as though he came out of a book illustration of Merlin or some imagination of a what a wizard would look like. He looked so much like a portrait that she was almost surprised when he moved.

He walked towards her extending his hand, "Hello miss I am Headmaster Dippet. And I welcome you to Hogwarts." she brought up her hand to shake his, though the exchange was awkward due to the restraints, "Please allow me" he said taking his wand out and waving them over the shackles. He then moved back to his chair and sat. "Now I have had Mr. Ollivander bring a few wands down to us so that you may find one suitable for you, please come forward." She had missed the meek looking man in the corner of the room, she moved closer to the desk leaving Dumbledores side as she looked at the array of wands on the desk.

"I don't use wands, well more so, I have never used wands before." she said her hand gliding over them

"Yes I have been informed," Dippet said, she looked back up at the man, it seemed that everyone was informed about her. "And some of the staff has as well, but for the majority your affiliations," he said uncomfortably, " and your general situation is unknown to the student population and majority of the staff. It is best to keep it that way."

"I will need a place to practice by myself, otherwise the obscurius can become too much if i do not acknowledge it, especially since I will be doing magic here. Spells are not enough I need to release a lot of energy," she said her hand hovering over the selection before her

"Yes, students are typically not allowed to go into the forbidden forest, but when these… urges hit you the boundaries will be allowed to extend into a safe distance into the woods. Simply make sure that you are not followed and leave if danger approaches you, there are many other creatures in that forest."

"I will be careful," she said picking up a shorter wand from the table, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel or do anything but she gently moved it and made a cracking noise. The man in the corner, who she presumed was Ollivander, rushed over.

"No, no, no, no" he muttered taking the wand from her hands, "more flexible, yes more flexible, these won't do." he said taking a few of the wands off the table." there was a long grey wand with a knob at the end. He gave her an expectant look to do something, so she took it and waved the wand over some books; they flew off the table. Dippet waved his wand over the books and they went back into place and Olivander took the wand out of her hands again.

Frustrated Helena said, "I am sorry about the mess, I just don't know what to do with wands really."

"No need to fret, here try this one," it was a dark brown wand medium length very plain except for a bronze handle, she then did a silent levitation charm of the same books she knocked over, she didn't like the feel of it, but the books levitated a bit off of the table . It felt like running a raging river through a tiny hole. "It will have to do," Ollivander said moving to collect the other wands, "I wish you would have let her come to the store."

"We appreciate your understanding of the situation Mr. Oleander." Dippet said, "and thank you for your time this morning." he then turned back to Helena, "Now miss. Hornstein, the last thing we have for you to do before we have you sorted at dinner is to take a few tests to place you in classes." He began writing something before looking into her eyes, "We are not here to dictate what you do as long as you follow the rules of the school and stay on campus, this is your opportunity to have a normal life in the wizarding world. I suggest you grab the opportunities given to you here and stay on the right path." he nodded to Dumbledore who then guided her out of the room.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, the test itself wasn't difficult there were a few things she didn't recognize but other than that it was basic information. After it was over Dumbledore told her that though she tested above fifth year that it would be better for her to be in class with children her own age then showed her to a room where she was supposed to change into some basic school robes and have the opportunity to clean herself up. After a short shower and putting on the loose-fitting robes she looked around the room. There was a think window in the room and she went over to take a brief look outside, she wasn't sure how late it was since the sunset so early in the winter. What she wanted more than anything was to here her reports what was going on in the front lines who was making their move, the war was picking up and instead of being out there she was stuck here playing school girl.

At that moment there was a knock on the door, Helena went to pick up her dirtied clothes and opened it. She had changed into some basic robes with no house name on them and put her up into its normal bun and looked up at the man. There was Dumbledore with a hint of a smile on his face, no matter how Helena looked at it something just didn't feel genuine about the man. He looked kind, but he looked like the kind to find and keep secrets she doubted many knew about the nature of the friendship between him and Grindelwald all the dark magic and illegal activities they played with as boys. There was a shiftiness to him behind his facade and she was already not a person to lower her shields for anyone especially someone like him. "I see the robes fit well," he said, "now please follow me."

He explained the sorting ceremony while they continued down the hallway, she decided to stay quiet and not tell him that she already knew about it and the different houses, it is better to seem ignorant and quiet if she wanted to get under the radar. They entered into a more open, highly vaulted area where the light just seemed to emanate from the air itself. At the end of the open space were large oak doors opened, she could see inside were four long tables with students buzzing about. There was a slight movement in her peripheral vision and she snapped her head to her left. She saw a gaunt, weak looking boy with dark thin curly hair on his head and sunken eyes. She could see his eyes widen in surprise that she had caught him and he froze in his tracks. Dumbledore turned to see what had caught her attention. "Lestrange," he said in a stern voice. At that, the boy jumped to attention, "Any specific reason you are late for dinner this evening?"

"No professor just overslept during a nap," he said looking at the entrance to the great hall nervously and grabbed his left arm. "Well go along then." Dumbledore said his eyebrow raised ignoring the obvious lie. The boy scurried inside going to his designated table, she noticed the green emblem on his robe when he passed. So a Slytherin then, she watched him go into the room and go towards the far left table.

Dumbledore then turned to her, "I will go and inform Headmaster Dippet that you are ready to be sorted, just wait out here until he waves you in. After that the fifth year prefect should show you around, they have already been briefed that you will have a separate room." with that Dumbledore walked up through the tables to the end where all the teachers and the Headmaster. Who in Helena's eyes still looked as though he was a painting, which would not surprise her much now as she had seen a few moving paintings on the way here. She leaned against the large door and observed the crowded not particularly looking at anyone. As she saw the laughter and energetic atmosphere of the room she became more and more resentful of them. She could feel anger pulsating through her, this was their life? This was what they were accustomed to? Were they even aware of what was going on outside of the walls? The war with other wizards or the muggle war? No, she thought as she breathed in the fiery anger inside of her turning into an icy disdain all the while her face never changing. Her muggle world was not the only one that had to change, this one did too. And with that thought in her mind, she could see Headmaster Dippet take the podium.

* * *

Lestrange had run over to the center of the table and took a small spot between a boy with long blonde hair and another with jet black curls on his head. The blond was engaged in a discussion with some other boys next to him but excused himself when the dark-haired boy began speaking. "So Lestrange, did you find out anything."

"Not really Tom," the boy said slightly out of breath and with a little bit of a stutter, " w-well yeah one thing. There is this new girl. I think she's a transfer she came in this morning on a carriage with a bunch of flying horses. Looks like she was picked up from where ever she was by Dumbledore." Lestrange said shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Anything else?" the blonde said as Tom took a sip of his drink his eyes following Dumbledore as he glided into the great hall and up to Headmaster Dippet.

"Well some of the paintings said she did well on her tests, but as usual most of them are not very talkative with students."

Tom had not been upset when transfiguration classes had been canceled, anytime he didn't have to interact with Dumbledore was a plus in his book. There are not many professors in the school that could see through him. There was a mutual distrust there. When he had left there were whispers through the school that he might have gone to face Grindelwald. It was widely known that many thought that Dumbledore would be the one to stop his advance. But instead of that, he had returned in a large Ministry flying carriage with some random girl. Lestrange per usual had failed to get any actual information about the situation. Apparently, Dumbledore went to escort a new student to the school. He had to admit that he was interested to see what constituted an escort form one of the most powerful wizards of the time. He was in a good position to find out, as he was one of the prefects, they had been told this morning to be prepared for a new member to the 5th year class, but we wouldn't know what house till dinner. He looked up as Headmaster Dippet moved to the podium and the room went quiet as people looked towards him.

Dippet waved his hand over his voice so that he could speak and be heard without having to strain his voice. He looked over the room as it gradually became quieter as students saw that he was about to speak, "Good Evening, I am sure that all of you have missed the presence of your transfiguration teacher these past few days, but I am happy to say that he has returned to us." there rose various yelps and clapping around the Gryffindor table, "We at Hogwarts are known not only as a school but also a place to offer sanctuary to those who need it. I have the honor to introduce to you the first transfer student Hogwarts has had in many years, Mis. Helena Hornstein.'' he waved his hand to becon the girl in.

There was a shift in the room as many of the students turned to look back to the entrance as a girl walked in. Tom had to admit that he was slightly surprised that there was nothing seemed too off about the girl. As she walked in one of the first things he noticed was her profile he had to admit she was a good looking girl, she had an classic type of beauty that was gentle and smooth tall features that made her look as though she was cut from stone and her hair tied up into a tight bun and her eyes were a bit sunken making her look a bit older than she was. He wanted to get a better look at her but her gaze was steady and forward. She walked with confidence but like a quick flowing march, every step was pointed and she made no move to look around her she didn't seem phased by the whispers and giggling around her. He did not like knowing nothing about a new student in the middle of the year. There had to be a reason that she was here, there had to be a reason that Dumbledore need to escort her. She wasn't from one of the main pureblood families, her name was obviously muggle or at least he didn't recognize it. He idly wondered what house would she be put in.

* * *

Helena made her way to the front of the room where Dippet motioned her towards a stool at the front of the podium. She sat there looking forward as the sorting hat was placed on her head. " _What an unusual magic we have. Hmmm" she could feel the humm of him speaking in her head,_ there was a pause and she could almost feel the hat going through her mind her memories, she didn't know it would have access to her mind like this, she hated it and tried to push it out unsuccessfully, " _I am sorry for what you have had to endure, you will not find anyone here who has gone through quite what you have, and even though you might not care you are safe here. But where to put you, where to put you." You have a hunger for knowledge but your mind extends to more than just the pursuit of information, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are definitely out of the picture for you. You have a fire in you, you want to right the wrongs done to you and your loved ones that fire and determination is indicative of a Gryffindor, not to mention your reckless tendencies to run into a fight."_ she looked over to the table and the red and gold boisterous crowd, they looked welcoming enough, but she couldn't care less about that, of her house, she was here to gain what she needed and get out as soon as possible.

" _and that my dear, is why you are not a gryffindor, you are fiercely devoted to those you love and trust, but you have cut off the part of yourself that would allow you to trust another, you are ambitious with your goals and have the mind to get what you want... in variety of ways…"_ the another pause and for a breif second she saw a glimps of the medical room from the camp with that man overtop of her again, it was breif and jarring but she made no move to show it and then the hat spoke out loud shouting "Slytherin!" cheers erupted from the Slytherin table and as the hat was removed from her head she got up and made her way to the table. She saw a boy in the center of the table stand up and wave her over. She took a breath in forcing the hint of a smile on her face and moved towards them. As she made her way towards them she noticed that the same boy she saw in the hall earlier surry around to the other side of the table.

Tom held out his hand to the girl, "Very nice to meet you, my name is Tom Riddle, Prefect. Welcome to the best house in Hogwarts." there were a few whoops and nodding around him. He motioned to a seat next to him and a blonde boy. She noted there are not a lot of options as she looks around, Helena nods and takes the seat. Tom sat next to her as she moved to put some food on her plate. "Slytherins are a head above many of the other houses here both intellectually and socially, this" he gestured to the boy to the other side of her, "is Abraxas Malfoy."

He extended his hand as well "Nice to meet you." Helena said lightly shaking his hand. He was a decently attractive boy, they both were she could at least admit that. Tom had a strong jaw and tall face that accentuated his dark eyes. The Malfoy boy was a completely different type, he had a reserved glow about him. His hair was a blond that she had never seen on a person, and it went below his shoulders tied with a black ribbon. He looked like he was a royal from an old story or history book, and from a moment she barely recognized the name Malfoy she was sure that she had heard it before but could not place it. She could feel the stares of a few of the girls at the table and all she wanted to do was eat and get out of the situation. But she had to play nice student and just go under the radar so that was what she did.

"So," Malfoy said moving back to his food, "what brings you to Hogwarts?" She could see the slight shift in a few of the people around her and she could tell that though some of them were either eating or participating in minor conversations that they were listening nonetheless. Shifty group of people she already found it tiring to have to interact with these people but this would truly be an effort on her part.

"One could say I was being privately tutored, then abruptly it was decided for me to come here." she said slowly picking at her food per usual she wasn't very hungry she felt even more uncomfortable eating in front of a bunch of calculating strangers.

She could see a girl with dark hair lean over from the opposite side of Tom, "Oh is that because of the war?" Helena nodded, "Well that makes sense," the girl continued. " It used to be popular for families to privately tutor their children, but the benefits of graduating from Hogwarts and the connections you make here usually wind up with the best here or at least the best families." she stretched her hand over Tom making a point of leaning into him in the process, "My name is Parkinson, Penny Parkinson, where is your family from?"

"My father's family is German and my mothers is English, but with all due respect, I am not very comfortable talking about my family." Helena said her smile strained, she could tell this house was very nobility or social standing oriented, she could tell by how Pennys and Toms eyes strained calculating why, but the less they knew about her the better. Then the thought occurred to her that she could just shift the blame on to Dumbledore. He was responsible for her and he did warn her to be careful not to divulge too much information about herself so it would be an easy and simple responds, "Well more so I am not really at liberty to talk about them because of the war and everything, Dumbledore told me I shouldn't talk about it." hopefully that would end the discussion.

But then the blonde boy behind her piped up, "He can be a real stick in the mud that one." Helena looked back to him and he was politely eating a bit of chicken barley looking at her, he swallowed his food and looking back over he continued, "He looks and acts like he would be a nice teacher, but he has it in for this house, right Tom."

"Yes he is a Gryffindor at heart and well they are a mess of a house really," Tom said leaning his arm across the table slightly blocking Penny to look at her and she could feel the heated stares at her she should stay far away from them, "blood traitors and miscreants the lot. You should know now that in general Slytherins generally stick together here. So if there is anything that I can do for you to ease your stay please let me know." he gave an award-winning smile and then moved on to his own food. She shifted in her seat recognizing that the smile didn't reach his eyes. Reaching for some food she mulled over the thought that there are definitely people here that she needs to stay away from this Tom boy seems to be fairly popular and he comes off as being nice but something seems to be lurking below the surface. Then again she is in a house of snakes.


End file.
